Wind Power News: North Dakota
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Wind farm planned for Morton and Mercer
A Minnesota energy developer announced plans to build a 100-megawatt wind farm that will straddle Morton and Mercer counties. Allete Clean Energy filed a letter of intent with the North Dakota Public Service Commission on Monday. The company estimates that the project will cost $200 million, depending on the final design and turbine selection, according to its letter. Public Service Commissioner Kevin Cramer said that he was not expecting the company’s announcement, but was not surprised to learn of it. . . .
Lake Region State to seek approval for wind turbine, tower near campus
Lake Region State College will seek approval Tuesday from the North Dakota Public Service Commission to build a 1.5-megawatt wind turbine/tower near its Devils Lake campus. The project, which likely will exceed $4 million, will serve as a training tool for the school’s wind turbine technician program as well as provide the campus with some of its electricity needs. “It’s a critical piece for our program,” said Doug Darling, LRSC vice president of instructional services. Currently, the school provides hands-on . . .
Burleigh OKs permit for wind project
Burleigh County commissioners approved a special use permit for a 36-tower Nextera Energy wind project in the rural Wilton area. The approval came on a 4-1 vote Thursday, against the wishes of the Crofte Township Board. Commissioner Mark Armstrong voted no. A Public Service Commission permit for the project is still pending. The city planning staff recommended the permit because it met county ordinance standards. In the southeast corner of the project, one tower was struck from the plan and . . .
Possible wind turbine construction concerns Baldwin homeowner
Tomorrow Burleigh County Commissioners will be voting whether to approve a special use permit that could allow wind turbines to be built in northern Burleigh County. If the wind turbines are built, three of them will be about 1,700 feet away from Baldwin resident Marc Laurie`s home. Laurie is concerned the turbines will lower his property value. He`s also worried about the shadow flicker and noise that comes with the turbines. He says he moved to Baldwin because he enjoys . . .
Wind farm proposed for Adams County
A company has filed plans with the state to develop a 150-megawatt, $300 million wind farm near Hettinger. Wind Works Power Corp., developer of the Thunder Spirit Wind farm, filed a letter of intent with the Public Service Commission in August. It plans to start construction on the project next June and complete it by Dec. 31, 2012. That date is significant because it is when a federal tax incentive will expire, said Public Service Commissioner Kevin Cramer. “The likelihood . . .
North Dakota regulators approve land corridor for $312M power line across the state
BISMARCK, N.D. — State regulators on Wednesday approved a land corridor for a proposed $312 million electric line to carry coal-generated power from western North Dakota to Grand Forks, a project that will make another power line available to transmit wind energy. Short sections of the proposed line will run alongside an existing one that transmits power from Center to Hermantown, Minn., just west of Duluth. A Minnkota subsidiary earlier sold the existing line to Duluth-based Minnesota Power. When the . . .
Minnesota Power wind project approved
Minnesota Power has received approval from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to develop its $157 million Bison 2 wind farm in New Salem, N.D., adjacent to the company’s Bison 1 project. Bison 2 will generate 105 megawatts of power when it comes on line next year, the Duluth-based utility said. It will consist of 35 Siemens direct-drive wind turbines. “This project demonstrates that renewable energy can be a low-cost generation option that will benefit all of our customers,” said Al . . .
Brand new blade
Repairs are being made to a wind tower just south of Minot that was damaged this spring. Officially known as turbine B-26, one of the blades on the turbine failed in April. Daryl Hill, media relations supervisor at Basin Electric Cooperative in Bismarck, said plans were to have the blade replaced in June, but with the extremely wet weather, the roads and surrounding area were too soft to support the heavy cranes and trucks needed for repairs. On Aug. 9, . . .
New “met” tower requirements in North Dakota
North Dakota Senate Bill 2206 recently signed into law by the Governor, as North Dakota Century Code Section 2-05-21, changes the requirements for anemometer towers. The law was passed with an emergency clause and is effective August 1, 2011. The law requires that an anemometer tower “fifty feet in height above the ground or higher…located outside the zoning jurisdiction of a city, and the appearance of which is not otherwise regulated by state or federal law must be marked, painted, . . .
Wind power vs. whooping crane on the prairie?
The term of art is incidental take. It refers to the “harassment, harm, pursuit, hunting, shooting, wounding, killing, trapping, capture, or collection of any threatened or endangered species.” Incidental take is in the news now because the Obama administration has given notice that it is evaluating issuing an incidental take permit (ITP) – a free pass of sorts – in a 200-mile-wide corridor from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico where whooping cranes migrate. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service . . .
