Xcel Energy Restoring 100 Wind Turbines After ND Storms

When storms tore through North Dakota's Courtenay Wind Farm last summer, 100 wind turbines went offline. Now, the power company behind them is proving that renewable energy infrastructure can bounce back stronger.

Xcel Energy is investing in a complete restoration of the wind farm near Courtenay, according to Tony Grindberg, the company's state director. He shared the commitment at a Stutsman County Commission meeting on January 20.

The wind farm took a beating twice in 2024. Severe weather on June 20-21 damaged turbine blades across the facility, followed by another storm on August 8 that knocked the remaining operational turbines offline.

Currently, 12 of the 100 turbines are back up and running. By the end of 2026, Xcel expects 65 turbines to be fully operational again.

The remaining 35 turbines suffered the most severe damage. Supply chain challenges are slowing their restoration, but the company continues working with vendors to secure the necessary parts and materials.

The Ripple Effect

The restoration goes beyond just fixing broken equipment. Xcel is recycling all damaged turbine blades at a dedicated site, turning disaster debris into reusable materials.

Local landowners haven't felt the financial sting either. Xcel maintained all landowner payments throughout the shutdown period, and property tax payments continue at full capacity despite reduced operations.

The company is doubling down on its North Dakota presence. Along with the wind farm restoration, Xcel is expanding natural gas infrastructure and planning a new natural gas peaking plant in eastern North Dakota.

They're also adding lines to the JETx transmission project, a 92-mile stretch of new transmission line connecting substations north of Jamestown to those west of Ellendale. The project strengthens the state's energy grid for both traditional and renewable sources.

When the full restoration wraps up, the Courtenay Wind Farm will stand as proof that clean energy infrastructure can weather the storm and come back ready to power communities for decades more.

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