Junegrass Wind creates grant program for the county

By Reed Anfinson
Apex Clean Energy and Junegrass Wind announced Monday the  launch of Junegrass Wind’s Community Grant Program for Swift County.
“The program’s goal is to bolster efforts of local organizations addressing community needs, fostering innovation, and driving positive change in Swift County,” the companies stated in a news release Monday. “Grant funds are allocated to applicants in five priority categories: healthy and safe communities, economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, health and recreation, and education.”
Junegrass Wind is the name Apex Clean Energy has given to its western Minnesota wind energy project.
Apex Clean Energy is proposing to construct an estimated 40 wind turbines in western Swift County that each produces 5 to 6 megawatts of electric energy. The utility-scale project would produce more than 200 megawatts of power.
Landowners have been meeting with Apex representatives as the company looks to sign leases for the sites where their windmills will be constructed.
Plans are proceeding for constructing 345Kv transmission line from Big Stone, S.D., to Alexandria. The new powerline will provide the capacity for numerous clean energy projects, both wind and solar, to hook into the power grid. The powerline will run through Big Stone, Swift, Stevens, Pope, and Douglas counties.
The transmission line route still has to get Public Utility Commission approval. It is expected that it will be ready to take on electric energy by 2030-31.
Apex Clean Energy is a national renewable energy firm based with Charlottesville, VA, with an office in the Twin Cities.
“The Junegrass Wind team is excited for this opportunity to learn more about our local partners and community supporters,” its news release said. The grant program will allow it to “enhance the economic benefits that our project will bring in years to come by connecting our work to initiatives in the community,” Anna Hays, public engagement manager for Junegrass Wind, said. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to give back and do what we can to support those ensuring a vibrant future for Swift County.”
Apex Clean Energy has donated over $3 million across the state through other localized community grant programs, Hay said. Grant dollars are limited, and local grants are awarded on a quarterly basis, she said.
Apex says its project will create:
- Hundreds of jobs and significant local spending during construction;
- Full-time local jobs for operations and maintenance;
- Taxpayers protected against decommissioning costs;
- More than 30 years of annual revenue for landowners, counties, and township government services, totaling tens of millions of dollars

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