Electricity From Failed St. Cloud VA Wind Turbine Cost 160 Times More Than Coal

The failed wind turbine next to the St. Cloud VA hospital will finally be dismantled this summer after sitting idle since 2012. Now that the fate of this boondoggle is sealed, let’s look at how the financials penciled out.

According to the St. Cloud Times, the turbine cost $2.3 million to build and was was operational between April 2011 and August 2012. It hasn’t produced any energy since Aug. 15, 2012. During that time it produced 464,000 kilowatt hours (KWh) of electricity. This means each KWh of electricity cost approximately $4.96, making it approximately 160 times more expensive than electricity produced at the Sherburne County coal-fired power plant located in Becker, Minnesota.

If the average Minnesota household (using 748 KWh per month) were forced to pay this much for electricity, their monthly bill would be $3,707.76, which would bring their annual electricity expenses to $44,493. A price tag that high is liable to take the wind out of the sails of any family budget. Thank goodness Sherco is still running, for now.