ABC 6 News - August 20, 2019



Wind not only has the power to provide clean energy, but it can also create many jobs. However, some local workers are concerned about the direction a proposed wind farm is taking.

On Tuesday, several voiced their frustration at a meeting in Kasson.

The Dodge County wind farm is a subsidiary of Florida-based company “NextEra Energy Resources LLC”. The 26-mile wide wind farm would be located in both Dodge and Steele counties with construction expected to get underway in 2020.

A typical wind farm project employs about 200 construction workers, however, the research manager for the Laborers’ Union of Minnesota says if only 30% of the proposed workforce is local, that could have an economic impact of up to $6 million. "That can be a pathway into a great career in the construction industry, you can get your start on a wind farm project and then you're building our roads and bridges, our critical infrastructure,” said Lucas Franco. “So that’s what we're pushing for; let’s put local folks to work."

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