It is hard to ignore the wind hurtling A across the green expanse of southern Minnesota. On highways, gusts nudge cars. Corn stalks shimmy in the breeze. And towering overhead, white turbines twirl. xcel Energy bought its first wind farm in the state in 2008. The utility's turbines now stretch to the horizon—its ambitions, far beyond. This month xcel, still dependent on coal to generate electricity, proposed big investments in solar and wind power in the upper Midwest, part of its bid to produce carbon-free electricity in the eight states it serves by 2050. It is one of many firms making multi-billion-dollar gambles on the shift to cleaner energy.
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