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Developer outlines proposed 400–500 MW Northwoods wind project for eastern Morrison County
Summary
Joey Shannon of Swift Current Energy briefed the Morrison County Board on a potential 400–500 MW wind project focused on the county's eastern townships, describing land leases, a timeline tied to a regional transmission upgrade and the permitting steps before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
The Morrison County Board of Commissioners heard a briefing July 28 from Joey Shannon, Senior Director of Development at Swift Current Energy, on a proposed Northwoods Wind Project that would sit in the county's eastern area of interest. Shannon said the development team has secured "over 100 different folks" under lease representing about 25,000 acres and described the project as "potentially 400 to 500 megawatts." Shannon identified 2029 as a ready-to-build milestone and linked actual construction timing to planned Northland Reliability Project transmission upgrades around 2030.
Shannon walked the board through the company's business model, the Minnesota market drivers (including a 100% carbon-free target by 2040), and the regulatory and technical checkpoints that must be cleared before a full PUC siting filing. He said Swift Current filed an initial 150 MW request with MISO in 2025 and followed with an additional ~350 MW filing in 2026. On permitting and review, he explained the PUC process for projects over 25 MW—roughly a 12–18 month site-permit review with opportunities for public comment—and noted that FAA, Department of Defense, US Fish and Wildlife Service and Army Corps reviews can add time.
Shannon described expected local impacts and benefits, saying Swift Current estimates production-tax revenues (citing Minnesota's production-tax framework) could yield roughly $1.5 million annually to a county from a 400 MW facility (with an 80% county / 20% township split) and that construction could create more than 250 full-time-equivalent positions during build-out and 15–30 long-term operations jobs. He also told commissioners that developers in Minnesota do not have condemnation rights, so unwilling landowners would not be forced to participate, and he summarized decommissioning obligations and financial assurance that the PUC requires.
No formal board action was requested at this meeting. Shannon said engineering, MET-tower measurements and environmental field work are planned next, and noted land-services staff will bring two permit requests tied to the project later in the packet. "This project in particular is a potentially 400 to 500 megawatt project," he told the board.
