Farm adds wind turbines, solar panels to offset market ups and downs
Chris Retter, a sixth generation Randolph County farmer, explains why he and his family opted to work with EDP Renewables on wind, solar projects.
South Dakota is ranked No. 1 in the nation for the percentage of its energy that is produced by renewable sources.
The state’s share of clean-energy production is 92% as of 2024, up from 70% in 2023. Iowa is second (83%) and Kansas third (74%). In 2025 when the state’s share of renewable energy was 81%, wind power generated 59% with most of the rest coming from hydropower.
South Dakota wind turbines provide enough energy to take the equivalent of 2.2 million cars off the road, and wind energy in the state has quadrupled since 2019.
That clean-energy boom has led to an increase of jobs. The state has 12,500 jobs in the field, representing a 1.6% bump since 2024.
Solar power…
