MGE's Saratoga Wind Farm Marks One-Year Anniversary

Our 66-megawatt Saratoga Wind Farm near Saratoga, Iowa, celebrated its first anniversary in February. Saratoga, about 200 miles west of Madison, is Madison Gas and Electric's (MGE) largest and newest wind farm.

The $108 million investment is another step toward MGE's goal of net-zero carbon electricity for all customers by 2050. Saratoga's 33 turbines generated enough clean energy in 2019 to power about 45,000 households. 

"Saratoga has been performing very well," said Dan Clausen, Senior Engineer Construction Management, in Energy Products and Services at MGE. "Typically, the first year of production would not be as good as the predicted average as start-up issues take time to address; however, Saratoga did not have significant start-up issues."

Iowa's strong winds combined with improved wind turbine technology helped Saratoga deliver more than 223 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy to our community grid last year. Saratoga's turbines stretch higher than other wind farms, allowing them to take advantage of greater wind speeds and generate more energy per turbine, making them more efficient.

To achieve deep decarbonization, MGE is working with customers to decarbonize electricity generation, engage around energy efficiency and electrify transportation, all of which are recognized as key strategies for reducing carbon emissions. Learn more about MGE's strategies to achieve net-zero carbon electricity.