Driving Minnesota Highway 60 around sunset, between about Butterfield and Windom, the red lights of dozens of wind turbines south of the highway grab the travelers’ attention.
The lights start out small and in the distance, but bloom to a horizon of red dots, stretching wide against the blackening sky. It’s an impressive sight.
Wind energy, in one form or another, has been a part of the Southwest Minnesota skyline for well over a hundred years. It started with simple windmills that dotted the horizon on farmsites and pastures throughout the area, pumping water for farm families, their animals and their crops.
For more on this story, please see the March 8 edition of the Citizen.