National Wind, LLC, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has received the 2009 Minnesota Environmental Initiative (MEI) Green Business and Environmental Management Award. The award recognizes National Wind’s for partnering with communities to build utility-scale wind farms. MEI is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build partnerships that create solutions to environmental problems throughout Minnesota.

MEI’s Executive Director, Mike Harley congratulated National Wind. “National Wind’s partnerships with communities are excellent examples of green business developments that help preserve the environment for future generations. Their grassroots wind energy projects start with local communities. By creating opportunities for community members to influence the development process and own a stake in the project, National Wind engenders broad support for clean energy and environmental stewardship.”

National Wind is currently developing twelve families of wind projects across the Midwest and Plains States. The company has more than 1000 landowner partners and over 1300 megawatts (MW) of locally-owned wind projects in development or operation in Minnesota alone. The key component to their success is that they offer joint ownership with local landowners to develop utility-scale wind farms. This enables local communities to have a positive financial stake in their investment in renewable energy.

Leon Steinberg, the CEO of National Wind was on had to recieve the award along with sevearl members of his team. “We have accepted this award on behalf of our 50 employees, our 450 rural farmer-partners and the thousands of landowners that will participate in our projects. Without all of their involvement, this award would not be possible. We want to acknowledge MEI’s success in building consensus to tackle important environmental issues. We also want to thank the utility sponsors of the 2009 awards, namely Great River Energy, Xcel Energy and Minnesota Power.”