The Iowa Utilities Board granted a regulatory waiver last week to Horizon Wind Energy to create its Pioneer Prairie Wind Farm in Howard and Mitchell counties.

The waiver allows two of the 12 lines receiving electricity from the turbines to be over the 25-megawatt limit.

Construction is expected to begin this year, said Doug Jones, senior project manager. Jones and other local company officials work out of offices in Grand Meadow, Minn.

The wind farm will have 182 turbines in Wayne and Stacyville townships in the northeast part of Mitchell County and in Oak Dale Township in the northwest corner of Howard County.

The project covers about 60 square miles over the three townships and affects about 130 landowners, Jones said.

The company also got a waiver of property owner notification requirements. State regulators say it's not necessary since wind projects don't have the same noise and environmental issues as gas or coal-fired facilities.

Land is leased from property owners but even property owners within the project boundaries without a turbine on their land may also be compensated if affected by the project, Jones said.

An example might be someone "who sees turbines to the north, turbines to the south and you're unfortunately caught in the middle," said Jones.

The first phase of the project, for which ground will be broken this spring, will see the installation of 122 Vestas V82 wind turbines on the eastern part of the site, Jones said. The second phase of the project, to begin in 2009, will add 60 Vestas V82 wind turbines in the western part of the site.

The second phase should be completed in mid-2009, Jones said.

Horizon Wind Energy is based in Houston with regional offices in New York, Oregon, Illinois, California, Colorado and Minnesota.