Apex Clean Energy outlines Boxcar Wind plan, says parts of Pipestone County may host 8–15 turbines

Drew Christensen, senior director of public engagement for Apex Clean Energy, told Pipestone County commissioners on Feb. 10 that the company is nearing final development phases for its Boxcar Wind project and expects a limited number of turbines in eastern Pipestone County.

"Boxcar Wind will be built in a couple of phases somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 megawatts," Christensen said, introducing the project and noting that some leased parcels now extend into northeastern Pipestone County. He said the county’s share of the larger project would likely be about 8–15 turbines, translating to roughly 30–40 megawatts locally depending on final turbine selection.

The presentation cited GE turbine platforms in the 3.8–4.2 megawatt range and estimated a tip height of about 600 feet. Garrett Balberty, identified in the meeting as the project lead, said the project’s viability is improving because a new transmission line from Becker to Garvin and an associated gas facility at the line terminus should reduce curtailment that has limited output on earlier projects. "We would anticipate much less curtailment on this project than on some existing projects," Balberty said.

Why it matters: commissioners in western Minnesota have weighed local impacts — roads, siting, and rural land use — against potential tax revenues and jobs. Apex told the board it expects limited local construction disruption because most leases in Pipestone County are on far-eastern sections and much construction would approach from the east; the company also said maintenance yards and laydown areas for the overall project are likely to be located outside Pipestone County.

During Q&A, commissioners pressed the company on local impacts. Christensen and Balberty said road use will be addressed in later agreements and that the project’s layout is not finalized; they described the Pipestone County portion as a small piece of the two-phase project that spans several counties. On turbine size, Balberty summarized: "The tip height would be approximately right at 600 ft." On local capacity they said, "I think 40 is a good estimate" for county-level output if the larger models are used.

Next steps: Apex offered to exchange contact information with county engineers and staff to review detailed engineering and road-use plans and to return with more specific siting maps once the layout is finalized. Commissioners did not take formal action at the meeting.

Sources: Presentation and Q&A by Drew Christensen and Garrett Balberty to the Pipestone County Board of Commissioners (meeting discussion and company answers).