Montana-Dakota Utilities, a subsidiary of MDU Resources, has signed an agreement to acquire 49% ownership in the Badger wind farm located in Logan and McIntosh counties in North Dakota. The purchase agreement represents a generation capacity of 122.5MW.
The 250MW wind farm, developed by Ørsted, is currently under construction near Wishek, ND, and will power 110,000 homes annually, contributing to the economic development of the area during its 30-year operational life.
MDU's investment in the facility is part of its five-year capital expenditure plan, with the estimated cost of the stake at $294 million. MDU Resources President and CEO Nicole Kivisto said in the press release, "This investment enhances our diversified portfolio of assets, allowing MDU to meet customer demand with a mix of generation assets that includes coal as well as wind backed by natural gas peakers to effectively serve our customers' needs."
The move follows a power purchase agreement (PPA) executed in Nov. 2024 for 150MW of the farm's output, which included a 49% purchase option. The addition of the Badger wind farm will significantly impact MDU's generation mix by increasing renewables from 29% to 39%. Meanwhile, coal will decrease from 31% to 26%, and gas from 40% to 35%.
