Sep. 20--WILTON -- Enough crops have been grown in the fields around Wilton to feed thousands of people, and soon there will be enough electricity generated in some of those same fields to power thousands of homes.

Monday marked the groundbreaking of what will be North Dakota's largest wind farm. It will be built about one mile south and four miles east of Wilton.

The project will consist of 33 wind turbines that will generate 49.5 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 15,000 homes. Currently, the largest wind farm in the state generates 40 megawatts of electricity near Edgely and Kulm.

The Wilton Wind Energy Center, a joint project by Basin Electric Cooperative and Florida Power and Light, is scheduled for completion by the end of the year.

John DiDonato, FPL Energy project director, said it took about two years of planning before the project was finalized.

"A lot of people don't realize that we at FPL Energy just don't go around the country building wind farms," DiDonato said. "We need a local utility or cooperative that wants to buy the electricity we make. We need a long-term customer for the life of the project. Without that long-term commitment, we won't build a wind farm."

FPL Energy will construct and own the turbines and Basin Electric Cooperative will sell the electricity.

Ron Harper, Basin Electric's CEO and general manager, said the project demonstrates Basin Electric's commitment to renewable energy.

Basin Electric membership, which spans nine states, will be considering a proposal in November to set a goal of having 10 percent of its capacity be renewable energy. When the Wilton Wind Energy Center is completed, Basin Electric will have almost 135 megawatts of electric generating capacity from wind.

The new facility will be constructed on an 8,000-acre plot by Wanzek Construction of Fargo. The towers were manufactured by DMI Industries of West Fargo.

Monday's groundbreaking ceremony included speeches by energy- industry executives and state and local politicians who touted tax incentives and other programs recently passed as ways to attract wind-energy development.

Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., said the state is just beginning to realize the potential for wind energy.

"You just have a sense that North Dakota, now sixth in energy production, can do much better than that," Pomeroy said.

This and four other wind projects under development in the state will add 230 new wind turbines and 330 megawatts of electricity, according to Gov. John Hoeven.