One of South Dakota’s largest wind farms just got the green light

South Dakota’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has approved a 260-megawatt (MW) wind farm that will become one of the largest in the wind-friendly state.

Invenergy is developing the 68-turbine South Deuel Wind Energy Center on 29,000 acres in Deuel County in the state’s northeast. When it comes online in Q4 2026, it will be capable of powering more than 103,000 US households. Construction is expected to begin late this summer.

In 2021, Invenergy completed the 109-turbine Deuel Harvest Wind Farm (pictured), six miles north of South Deuel, which it sold to Atlanta-based Southern Power.

Invenergy says the new South Dakota wind farm will pump $78 million into landowner payments over the next 30 years, while local governments will see $38 million in property tax revenue. On the jobs front, the project is expected to create 243 construction jobs and support eight long-term operational roles.

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South Dakota is one of the most wind-friendly states in the US. In 2023, wind provided 55% of South Dakota’s total electricity generation, a larger share than any other state except Iowa, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Wind exceeded hydropower’s contribution to South Dakota’s in-state electricity generation for the first time in 2021, and it generated nearly three times as much electricity as hydropower in the state in 2023. In the same year, renewables generated 77% of South Dakota’s total in-state electricity net generation (including small-scale solar).

Read more: Offshore wind roars back in 2025 with 19 GW of additions and China in the lead

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