A 50-megawatt wind farm currently in development in Mower County could begin producing energy in the next few years.

Curtis Nordick, a land acquisition specialist, estimated Friday that a EDF Renewable Energy wind farm project could begin producing energy as soon as 2016 or 2017, but noted it could be closer to 2020, depending on studies, permitting and other factors.

Nordick has been working with about 20 to 25 landowners to secure land over 12,000 acres near Tapoi and LeRoy. The project could add about 25 2 MW turbines, though that could change based on the turbines eventually selected.

EDF is working on state permitting, and Nordick said the company is also working with landowners and completing surveys of the area to gauge the wind resource and study the animals and birds in the project area.

In January, the Mower County Board unanimously approved a permit for EDF Renewable Energy to build a 60-meter meteorological tower in Lodi Township to measure wind and weather.

EDF Renewable Energy has a history with Mower County, owning the Wapsipinicon Wind Project near Dexter, and the company developed a project near Grand Meadow but sold it.

Mower County Currently has 253 turbines. Construction on the 200-megawatt Renewable Energy Systems Americas’ Pleasant Valley Wind Farm will resume this spring. That project is expected to add 88 turbines in Mower, with the rest in Dodge County.

The Pleasant Valley and, if completed, the EDF project could bring the number of Mower County turbines to more than 360.