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	<title>National Wind Watch: News &#187; Minnesota</title>
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	 	<title>National Wind Watch: News &#187; Minnesota</title>
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	<description>Industrial Wind Energy News from National Wind Watch</description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:53:28 +0000</pubDate>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Neighbors concerned about proposed wind farm</title>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:42:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>02 Dec 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[FREEBORN COUNTY, MN &#8212; You see them all over our area. Now, some neighbors in a southern Minnesota county are worried about wind turbines coming to their community. Some say the proposed project is not safe. 
Going green could mean a crop of wind turbines in north Freeborn County. 
&#8220;About this wind turbine farm and I said&#8230;.it&#8217;s good. It&#8217;s wind energy,&#8221; Katie Troe said. 
Alliant Energy wants to build a wind farm near Katie Troe&#8217;s house in Clarks Grove. Troe .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/12/02/neighbors-concerned-about-proposed-wind-farm/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=20398</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Windmills at Iron Range wind farm grind to a halt after defects found</title>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:37:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>02 Dec 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Minnesota Power’s Taconite Ridge wind farm isn’t producing nearly as much electricity as anticipated in recent months, with seven of the 10 wind turbines shut off for repairs. 
Minnesota Power’s Taconite Ridge wind farm isn’t producing nearly as much electricity as anticipated in recent months, with seven of the 10 wind turbines shut off for repairs.
The &#36;50 million project, built on 450 acres of land overlooking U.S. Steel’s Minntac mine, came fully online early this summer. But this fall, inspectors .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/12/02/windmills-at-iron-range-wind-farm-grind-to-a-halt-after-defects-found/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=20366</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Opinions]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Tax breaks for &#39;green&#39; jobs are bad deal for Minnesota</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:03:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>28 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Gov. Tim Pawlenty is proposing &#36;85 million in tax breaks to create jobs in solar energy, methane gas, and wind energy. According to the governor, we&#8217;re going to have a whole new manufacturing sector building solar power plants and wind turbines, and his tax breaks will bring those new jobs to Minnesota. Isn&#8217;t that a good idea? 
No. It&#8217;s a bad idea. 
Solar and wind together account for less than 5 percent of the fuel for Minnesota&#8217;s electrical production. There&#8217;s .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/28/tax-breaks-for-green-jobs-are-bad-deal-for-minnesota/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=20287</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Medina wind turbine approved amidst objections, support</title>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Nov 2008 11:53:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>27 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[There are two possible meanings for the old English proverb &#8220;it&#8217;s an ill wind that blows no body any good.&#8221; 
One means that something really bad is coming and no one will be happy. The other is nearly the opposite &#8212; it would have to be a very bad wind indeed where no one at all would benefit. It probably comes down to the way one chooses to read the phrase. And that same set of polarities may be applied .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/27/medina-wind-turbine-approved-amidst-objections-support/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=20253</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Stearns may get wind farm</title>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:44:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>24 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[An energy company is looking at west-central Stearns County as a potential site for a large-scale wind farm.  
Edina-based Geronimo Wind Energy plans to erect two meteorological towers, each 198 feet high, that will collect data on wind speed and direction. The towers will be on private property, one in Zion Township and one in Raymond Township. 
The Stearns County planning commission last week approved permits for the towers, which will be erected within the next six weeks. The .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/24/stearns-may-get-wind-farm/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=20130</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Capturing wind &#40;giant batteries for giant turbines&#41;</title>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:56:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>20 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[LUVERNE — Roughly the size of two semi trailers and weighing nearly 80 tons, groundbreaking wind-to-battery technology was unveiled in the middle of farm fields northwest of Beaver Creek Monday morning.
The battery, the first of its kind to be tested in the United States, will help partners Xcel Energy and Luverne-based Minwind Energy capture and store power produced by the 11.5-megawatt Minwind Energy wind farm.
“You don’t have to drive very far outside of Luverne to see the progress that we’ve .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/19/capturing-wind-giant-batteries-for-giant-turbines/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=20017</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Energy company considers building wind farm</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:55:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>19 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Avant Energy Services, the company that manages the Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, is looking at building a wind farm in Pickerel Lake Township southwest of Albert Lea. It would be the second wind farm slated for Freeborn County.
The Shell Rock Wind Farm would be a 44-megawatt wind power project, enough energy to power about 15,000 households, said Leo Raudys, the vice president of development at Avant, on Tuesday in a meeting at the Tribune.
In comparison, the Bent Tree Wind Farm .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/19/energy-company-considers-building-wind-farm/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19972</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[California]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[U.S.]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Washington]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>State renewable energy mandates might be unrealistic</title>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:10:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>18 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Investment uncertainty and transmission obstacles could make states&#8217; renewable portfolio standards difficult to achieve. 
Although renewable portfolio standards (RPS) requirements and deadlines vary state by state, as we creep inexorably closer to benchmark dates, a growing chorus of voices has been warning that reaching these goals is not feasible. 
California, for example, has signed 95 California Public Utilities Commission-approved contracts for 5,900 MW which, if online, would fulfill the state&#8217;s RPS of 33% by 2020. But only 14 of those .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/18/state-renewable-energy-mandates-might-be-unrealistic/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19963</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Wind tower OKed despite looming doubt</title>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:32:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>17 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Winona County signed a development agreement with Juhl Wind, Inc., to build two turbines in Mount Vernon Township, the second partnership on the development effort in three years. 
County Board member Marcia Ward was the only commissioner who didn’t feel comfortable with the agreement, listing concerns with the proposed site, whether the turbines will really perform, and how much control the county will have in its investment here on out. 
The county has already spent about &#36;50,000 studying the Mount .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/17/wind-tower-oked-despite-looming-doubt/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19919</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Willmar Utilities receives final OK for turbines</title>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:01:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>17 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[WILLMAR — Folkedahl Consulting Inc. of Willmar says that final approval has been given for the Willmar Municipal Utilities wind energy project. 
The Willmar Planning and Development Services Department issued a building permit last week for construction of two wind turbines located north of Willmar Senior High School. The turbines will be capable of generating up to four megawatts of electricity for the utility. 
Construction was to begin immediately. The first phase, consisting of access roads and turbine foundations, will .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/17/willmar-utilities-receives-final-ok-for-turbines/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19899</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Cloud over county wind turbine&#63; Commissioner Ward, others, raise questions</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:34:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>14 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Planted off County Road 114 in Mount Vernon Township, Larry Greden’s got a wind turbine for sale. 
It’s for sale because it, for the most part, doesn’t work. There isn’t enough wind at its position to make it profitable, and while Greden says he won’t lose money in his four-year wind project because of tax incentives, he isn’t making any. 
And several hundred yards from the turbine that won’t turn, the county is poised to erect its own. In a .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/14/cloud-over-county-wind-turbine-commissioner-ward-others-raise-questions/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19857</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>County approves turbine contract, questions still remain for project</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:16:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>14 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Winona County still has questions about a plan to build a commercial wind turbine, but it now has a new partner in that effort: Juhl Wind Inc. 
County commissioners voted 4-1 Thursday, with Marcia Ward dissenting, to sign a contract with Juhl to develop the turbine in conjunction with the county’s Economic Development Authority and private investors who would pay most of the cost to build the turbine. Commissioners have discussed building a &#36;3.6 million twin-blade turbine at a site .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/14/county-approves-turbine-contract-questions-still-remain-for-project/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19845</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[U.S.]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Wind companies like Obama energy plan</title>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:55:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>13 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Minnesota&#8217;s wind power industry could see major gains if President-elect Barack Obama&#8217;s energy program becomes law. Obama wants to dramatically increase the amount of electricity generated in the U.S. from renewable sources like wind, solar and geothermal. Biofuels like ethanol could also benefit from the Obama plan. 
Worthington, Minn. — The election of Barack Obama was great news for Minneapolis-based National Wind. 
&#8220;We were very pleased,&#8221; said Leon Steinberg, who heads the wind farm developer. &#8220;We think that the investments .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/13/wind-companies-like-obama-energy-plan/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19789</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Turbine transport vexes some drivers</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:25:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>12 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[It’s an increasingly common sight in Central Minnesota: an oversized semitrailer-load of wind turbine parts rumbling down the highway, drawing the attention and sometimes the frustration of other drivers.  
St. Cloud is on a main route for wind turbine components traveling from the port of Duluth to destinations across the Midwest, where the demand for wind energy is soaring. 
While the focus on renewable energy may be good for the environment and the local economy, the turbines themselves can .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/12/turbine-transport-vexes-some-drivers/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19743</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>County wind project financing discussed</title>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:49:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>10 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[The county proposal to build two wind turbines in Mount Vernon Township in a public/private partnership has faced some skepticism recently, with the proposed financial situation outlined in a meeting Wednesday. 
Poised to enter into a development agreement with Juhl Wind Inc., county leaders heard Wednesday that investors haven’t yet been lined up for the project. 
What may have been a miscommunication was corrected Wednesday after Juhl representative Dan Juhl told county officials that his development company had not pursued .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/10/county-wind-project-financing-discussed/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19704</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Residents tilt at windmill, but Medina Council approves it</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:21:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>07 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Despite opposition from numerous residents, Medina City Council members have unanimously agreed to welcome a 407-foot wind turbine to the town&#8217;s rural landscape. 
Facing a crowd of 75 to 100 residents, about two-thirds of whom opposed the turbine, the council Wednesday night took &#8220;a fairly courageous&#8221; stand in favor of the wind generator proposed by Hennepin County, said City Council Member Elizabeth Weir. 
&#8220;This is how we begin to address the need for renewable, clean energy and to keep the .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/07/residents-tilt-at-windmill-but-medina-council-approves-it/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19580</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Questions delay Winona County wind turbine plan</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:17:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>07 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Winona County’s proposal to build a commercial wind turbine is on hold at least another week after commissioners on Tuesday postponed a vote on a revamped version of the project. 
The county has worked on the project for three years. 
The county’s Economic Development Authority board recently endorsed partnering with private investors to build two wind turbines in Mount Vernon Township at a cost of &#36;3.6 million. The county board tabled the proposal after commissioner Marcia Ward questioned the project, .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/07/questions-delay-winona-county-wind-turbine-plan/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19576</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Jaunich sentenced in wind-energy fraud</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:38:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>07 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[The pioneer in the field drew 21 months for overcharging the state and Xcel Energy, with which he still does business. 
Greg Jaunich, a Minnesota wind-energy pioneer, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison Thursday for overcharging Xcel Energy Inc. and the state by a half-million dollars for wind-generated electricity from a southwestern Minnesota wind farm in 2003-04. 
U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson also fined him &#36;5,000. 
Jaunich already has paid back the money and continues to do business .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/07/jaunich-sentenced-in-wind-energy-fraud/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19555</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Wind farms proposed in Goodhue</title>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:43:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>06 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[RED WING &#8212; No commercial-scale wind farms have yet been built in Goodhue County, but there&#8217;s a growing field of developers who want to harvest the wind resources. 
Two corporations are now pitching proposals much larger than one that received state approval last year to build a wind energy conversion system. 
Why the sudden interest? A planned upgrade of transmission lines through the CapX 2020 initiative will allow them to send wind energy from Goodhue County to elsewhere. 
Discussed by .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/06/wind-farms-proposed-in-goodhue/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19521</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Community divided over proposed Medina wind turbine</title>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:43:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>06 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[A 400-foot tall wind turbine is at the center of a controversy in Medina, Minn. Many are opposed to the building of the turbine, due to its massive scale and the proposed location. 
Wednesday night, dozens of people packed a Medina City Council meeting to weigh in on wind power. Hennepin County wants to build a single wind turbine, 400 feet tall, near Hwy. 55 and Arrowhead in Medina.
&#8220;It strikes me a 41-story tall wind turbine is a bit excessive.&#8221;
It&#8217;s .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/06/community-divided-over-proposed-medina-wind-turbine/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19464</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Sparks fly at county over wind energy</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:33:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>05 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[The proposed county partnership aimed at building two wind turbines in Mount Vernon Township was discussed Tuesday, when questions from County Board member Marcia Ward generated gavel banging and a bit of controversy. 
The plans, which have been in the works since 2005, were on the table with a new contract with developer Juhl Wind Inc. This &#36;3.6 million contract would add an ownership model on which the county would spend about &#36;20,000 in initial costs with private investors covering .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/05/sparks-fly-at-county-over-wind-energy/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19439</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Geronimo interested in Goodhue County wind</title>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:56:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>04 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Yet another company has expressed interest in harvesting Goodhue County winds for renewable energy. 
Officials from Minneapolis-based Geronimo Wind Energy said they will apply for a state permit to build 20 to 30 turbines before the year 2012 just west of the city of Goodhue. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s a good area,&#8221; said Charlie Daum, Geronimo director of development. &#8220;But we are still in the early stages of this project.&#8221;  
Company officials say they are currently working with area farmers on land .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/04/geronimo-interested-in-goodhue-county-wind/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19392</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Wind turbine proposal generates plenty of heat in Medina</title>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:32:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>04 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Medina is weighing the pros and cons of adding a 40-story wind tower to its rural landscape.  
Nothing like it has ever been built in Medina: a wind turbine 40 stories high that would tower over the rural landscape and help Hennepin County, which pays &#36;7 million a year for electricity, cut its energy costs.
But so far, the county&#8217;s first foray into alternative energy is generating more controversy than wind power. As Medina Mayor Tom Crosby put it: &#8220;How .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/04/wind-turbine-proposal-generates-plenty-of-heat-in-medina/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19387</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>County EDA gives wind turbine a second try</title>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:28:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>03 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[The first try never took off, but supporters of Winona County’s second bid to enter the wind-energy business pledge that this time, they aren’t blowin’ smoke. 
The county would enter a &#36;3.6 million venture to build and operate two new wind turbines in Mount Vernon Township under a proposal commissioners will consider Tuesday morning. 
The proposal, which the county Economic Development Authority board has endorsed unanimously, marks the EDA’s second try in three years at entering the wind-energy business: A .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/03/county-eda-gives-wind-turbine-a-second-try/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19364</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[North Dakota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Xcel Energy planning new wind farms in ND, Minnesota</title>
		<pubDate>Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:47:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>02 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Xcel Energy plans to develop wind farms in southeastern North Dakota and western Minnesota that will be capable of generating enough power to supply 110,000 homes. 
Xcel, based in Minneapolis, and enXco Inc., a unit of the French company EDF Group, announced plans today to build a 150-megawatt project in Dickey and McIntosh counties, near the South Dakota border south of Jamestown.  
Called the Merricourt Wind Project — the name comes from a tiny Dickey County community — the .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/02/xcel-energy-planning-new-wind-farms-in-nd-minnesota/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19353</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>MUC approves work at wind turbine site</title>
		<pubDate>Sat, 01 Nov 2008 10:37:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>01 Nov 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Construction will begin Wednesday on roads and foundations at the site between Willmar Senior High School and County Road 90 for Willmar Municipal Utilities’ two wind turbines.
The work will be done by Chad Monson Excavating of Willmar under a $1,599,920 contract approved this week by the Municipal Utilities Commission.
The Monson bid was the lowest of four bids submitted by contractors hoping to do the work, but one bid, which was the high bid, was rejected for failure to comply with .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/11/01/muc-approves-work-at-wind-turbine-site/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19384</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[U.S.]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Co-op is studying bat deaths from wind turbines</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:45:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>31 Oct 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[More wind farms could be scary news for bats. 
Wind turbines apparently have been killing bats, though no one knows exactly why, and with the push to ramp up wind energy production in Minnesota and elsewhere, that&#8217;s causing concern. 
The Bat and Wind Energy Cooperative — formed by the wind industry, government and conservationists — is studying the issue at a Pennsylvania wind farm. Results should be in by the end of the year. 
A 1990s study at Buffalo Ridge .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/31/co-op-is-studying-bat-deaths-from-wind-turbines/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19322</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Will study costs take wind out of sails for Big Stone plan&#63;</title>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:10:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>30 Oct 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Investors looking to develop a 20-megawatt wind farm in Big Stone County are hoping that the costs to study what it takes to connect to the electrical transmission grid don’t take the wind out of their sails. 
Investors with Big Stone Wind recently learned that the &#36;100,000 they originally provided toward the costs of engineering studies to connect their proposed wind farm to the grid is not enough. 
An Oct. 16 letter from the Midwest Independent Systems Operator — which .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/30/will-study-costs-take-wind-out-of-sails-for-big-stone-plan/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19233</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[South Dakota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Coal plant supporters pressure wind supporters</title>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:05:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>30 Oct 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[The latest squall to blow through Minnesota energy developers is a letter to wind projects in the western part of the state &#8212; from the agency that controls the power grid &#8212; saying it would be in their best interests to support a new coal plant in South Dakota. 
&#8220;I confess to complete puzzlement as to why they&#8217;re sending this to us,&#8221; said Brent Olson of Ortonville, a director of Big Stone Wind, a proposed 20-megawatt, community-owned wind farm in .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/30/coal-plant-supporters-pressure-wind-supporters/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19231</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Company to build wind farm in Goodhue County</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:29:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>29 Oct 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[GOODHUE &#8212; Farmers and motorists should be watching wind turbines turn in southeastern Goodhue County late next year or early in 2010. 
National Wind L.L.C., which already is working on four wind farms in Minnesota, now plans to place a fifth in rural areas near the city of Goodhue, a spokeswoman said. 
An affiliate called Goodhue Wind L.L.C. will actually develop the commercial electricity project, National Wind announced Tuesday in a written release. National Wind, which is based in Minneapolis, .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/29/company-to-build-wind-farm-in-goodhue-county/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19185</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Wind turbine has Woodbury weighing new energy plan</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:17:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>29 Oct 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[A proposal to build a wind turbine at East Ridge High School in Woodbury has fanned City Council interest in writing a new ordinance that governs the gamut of alternative energy installations, including solar panels. 
Woodbury prides itself as a &#8220;green&#8221; city with a philosophy toward alternative energy. The city doesn&#8217;t yet have an ordinance relating to wind turbines, which are giant propellers capable of producing significant electricity. In the case of East Ridge, which opens next fall, the proposed .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/29/wind-turbine-has-woodbury-weighing-new-energy-plan/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19181</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>County cuts ties with wind developer</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:07:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>29 Oct 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Winona County leaders on Tuesday night cut ties with a developer hired in 2005 to guide an effort by the county’s Economic Development Authority to build a commercial wind turbine in Mount Vernon Township. 
But the initiative isn’t dead; it’s simply getting a makeover, EDA director Linda Grover said Monday. 
Grover said the county’s decision to terminate its agreement with Rochester, Minn.-based Winergie Wind Energy Development Corp. was “mutually agreeable.” EDA officials plan to publicly debut a new turbine proposal .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/29/county-cuts-ties-with-wind-developer/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19179</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Tower to pave way for turbines in Fillmore County</title>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:18:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>28 Oct 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[SPRING VALLEY &#8212; An 80-meter meteorological tower in Beaver Township is one of the first signs that Root River Energy LLC&#8217;s proposed 300-megawatt wind farm is on Fillmore County&#8217;s horizon. 
While most meteorological towers installed today typically are 50 to 60 meters high, National Wind LLC developer Bill Smeaton said the 80-meter tower will be more accurate because most wind turbines are being erected on towers that are 80 meters or higher. 
National Wind employees on Oct. 9 erected the .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/28/tower-to-pave-way-for-turbines-in-fillmore-county/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19131</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Cracked blade replaced at Corn Plus</title>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:39:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>27 Oct 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Where there is wind, there is power. But, it’s not the kind Corn Plus officials were hoping for. 
When it came time to start repairing a wind turbine at the ethanol plant on Oct. 15, the project had to be put on hold. 
Ironically — it was high, gusty winds that grounded some 20 workers of Barnhart Crane and Rigging of Memphis, Tenn.  
“The blade has been cracked all summer. It’s been frustrating,” says Dan Moore, director of project .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/27/cracked-blade-replaced-at-corn-plus/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19124</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Medina asks county one more wind turbine question</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:20:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>24 Oct 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[The Medina City Council, Tuesday, Oct. 21, got one step closer to making a decision about the wind turbine proposed for the Hennepin County Public Works Facility site at 1600 Prairie Drive. 
Mayor Tom Crosby told the council that he and city administrator Chad Adams had met with Hennepin County representatives to ascertain whether the county has a &#8220;solid economic basis&#8221; for installing and operating the 1.5 or 2.1 megawatt wind turbine on the southwest portion of public works site. .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/24/medina-asks-county-one-more-wind-turbine-question/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19044</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Morse Group subsidiary proposes 200-MW Minnesota wind farm</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:03:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>24 Oct 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[A subsidiary of The Morse Group Wednesday asked the Minnesota Public
Utilities Commission for permission to build a 200-MW wind farm in southeastern Minnesota. 
     Freeport, Illinois-based Morse Group owns EcoEnergy Wind, which has built 1,400 MW of wind projects. 
     The group plans to start building the &#36;475 million EcoHarmony West Wind project in Fillmore County in the fall of 2009 and finish it by the end of 2010.  The Morse .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/24/morse-group-subsidiary-proposes-200-mw-minnesota-wind-farm/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=19011</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>More Goodhue County turbines proposed</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:10:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>22 Oct 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[Up to 39 wind turbines could be spinning across Goodhue and Belle Creek townships as early as next December. 
Goodhue Wind, LLC. will file a permit application with the Minnesota Public Utility Commission in coming days, said Tiff Thompson, wind energy developer with Goodhue Wind. 
The proposed project is a large one capable of producing 78 megawatts of wind power on approximately 22 square miles of Goodhue County land.  
That&#8217;s more than 200 times the land mass of the .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/22/more-goodhue-county-turbines-proposed/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=18919</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Wind turbine repairs scheduled; Five of 10 machines turned off due to defects</title>
		<pubDate>Sun, 19 Oct 2008 10:37:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>19 Oct 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[MOUNTAIN IRON — It’s not just a lack of wind as the reason why some of those wind turbines in the Taconite Ridge wind farm aren’t turning. 
Half of the 10 machines had to be turned off. 
After a recent routine maintenance check, it was found that five of them had non-structural defects in some of the blades. The affected turbines were shut down and are awaiting repairs, which are expected to go through the end of the year, Amy .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/19/wind-turbine-repairs-scheduled-five-of-10-machines-turned-off-due-to-defects/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=18862</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Turbines future debated</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>15 Oct 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[The problem with wind turbines, mused the planning commissioners of Afton at their most recent meeting, is that they are most efficient where they are least aesthetically pleasing. 
It was just one issue of many brought up at Afton City Hall on Oct. 6, when the conversation turned to the amending of the city’s ordinance governing wind turbines. 
An inquiry from a resident of Afton a couple months ago started debate on the subject of small-scale, non-commercial turbines in the .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/15/turbines-future-debated/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=18726</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>A tale of two turbines</title>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:49:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>09 Oct 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[It stands 166 feet tall from base to blade tip and has a generating capacity of 200 kilowatts per hour. 
And since the wind turbine at Great River Energy in Maple Grove was installed last year it has become a destination for all parties interested in alternative energy. 
“We’ve had everyone from all sectors of the community inquire about our turbine,” said Mark Rathbun, who is the renewable energy project manager for Great River Energy, which is the second largest .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/09/a-tale-of-two-turbines/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=18545</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Wind project could bring 134 turbines to Clay County</title>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:55:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>07 Oct 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[More than 130 wind turbines could be twirling in Clay County by 2010, boosting the county’s economy. 
Noble Flat Hill Windpark aims to construct 134 wind turbines north of Glyndon by 2010, said Project Manager Mike Beckner. 
The 201 megawatt-powered wind park would cover a 36-square-mile area, with an estimated price tag of &#36;450 million, Beckner said. 
Anywhere from &#36;800,000 to &#36;1 million from lease payments could be divided by the townships and school districts, Beckner said, saying it would .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/07/wind-project-could-bring-134-turbines-to-clay-county/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=18483</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Wind turbine power an uneasily solution</title>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:48:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>05 Oct 2008</nww:date>
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					<description><![CDATA[MANKATO &#8212; If wind power works for St. Peter schools, Gustavus Adolphus College and the city of Mountain Lake, can it work for the city of Mankato? 
That’s the question Mankato Councilman Mark Frost has been asking lately, prompted by higher energy prices, reliance on foreign sources of oil and carbon pollution. 
He cautions that profitability is a must: “This isn’t one of those, ‘Boy, we’re gonna do it no matter what’ programs,” he said. “I’m just askin’ questions.” 
But .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/05/wind-turbine-power-an-uneasily-solution/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=18444</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Wisconsin]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Proposed power line has generated lots of heated opposition</title>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:48:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>03 Oct 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
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					<description><![CDATA[Supporters and opponents of a proposed upgrade to the region’s high-voltage transmission lines are debating the plan’s merits in Minnesota. 
The discussion will soon cross the river. 
The proposed 345-kilovolt lines, on towers as high as 150 feet placed every 1,000 feet, would run from the Twin Cities to Rochester and then to substations in La Crosse or Holmen, Wis. 
The CapX2020 project, estimated to cost &#36;1.7 billion in 2007 dollars, is comprised of four power lines, including one that .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/03/proposed-power-line-has-generated-lots-of-heated-opposition/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=18415</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Wind may become new area cash crop</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:29:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>01 Oct 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
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					<description><![CDATA[RICE — Roy Seppelt never thought much about the wind that sways his rows of corn until an energy company came calling. 
Now when the Graham Township farmer looks out at his seemingly endless fields, he imagines rows of wind turbines stretching up to the sky, with blades slowly turning and each producing a new crop — enough electricity to power 600 homes.
In the past year and a half, Seppelt has learned that the land including his 1,200-acre farm in .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/01/18584/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=18584</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Monster trucks rolling through Hutchinson</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:44:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>01 Oct 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[The increasing popularity of wind power in Minnesota and elsewhere means the line of oversized trucks with wind turbine parts rolling through Hutchinson and other area cities isn’t likely to end anytime soon.
The trucks, some as long as 215 feet and as wide as 15 feet, have to be specially routed. Until construction of the roundabout on Hutchinson’s north side, State Highway 15 was the preferred route between St. Cloud and New Ulm, according to Dave Johnston, a District 8 .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/10/01/monster-trucks-rolling-through-hutchinson/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=18499</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Utilities learns Hutchinson has enough wind for power</title>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:44:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>30 Sep 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[The Hutchinson Utilities Commission was briefed last week on a &#36;20,500 wind farm feasibility study it commissioned earlier this summer. It learned there are satisfactory wind conditions in this part of Minnesota to make such a venture viable, but commissioners were noncommittal on whether they would move forward with the project any time soon. 
The Hutchinson area generally has an annual wind velocity of 16.68 mph, with the summer months of July and August on the low end (14.6 mph .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/09/30/utilities-learns-hutchinson-has-enough-wind-for-power/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=18287</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Iowa]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Nebraska]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[North Dakota]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[South Dakota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>U.S. to study effects of wind energy industry on habitats</title>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:59:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>29 Sep 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
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					<description><![CDATA[The Great Plains region, often described as the Saudi Arabia of wind energy, has caught the eye of so many wind developers that the federal government is launching an extensive environmental analysis of the alternative energy source. 
The review is being fueled by the competing demands of habitat protection and energy exploitation in the Upper Great Plains, where some of the nation&#8217;s largest tracts of intact native prairie and densest concentrations of wetlands are found. 
The region involved — eastern .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/09/29/us-to-study-effects-of-wind-energy-industry-on-habitats/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=18277</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Iowa]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Nebraska]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[North Dakota]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[South Dakota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Study to gauge impact of wind projects</title>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:47:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>29 Sep 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[Two federal agencies — one a manager of wildlife habitat, the other of high-voltage power lines — are teaming up to study the impact of wind development in six states, including Montana.  
Public meetings are planned next week in North Dakota, South Dakota and Billings. 
A growing number of wind projects is driving the joint environmental study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Western Area Power Administration, said Randy Wilkerson, a Lakewood, Colo.-based WAPA spokesman. 
Environmental, .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/09/29/study-to-gauge-impact-of-wind-projects/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=18263</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Fatal accident points out transport challenge</title>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:54:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>25 Sep 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[A broadside accident occurred Wednesday in St. Cloud between an oversized-load truck carrying wind turbine parts and a minivan, resulting in one death.  Millard and Shirlee Nelson of South Haven were heading north at the intersection of Highway 15 and Second Street about to turn left. At around 11 a.m., as driver Millard was turning, the van was struck by the truck, which was at the time heading south on Highway 15. 
The State Patrol reports that the truck .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/09/25/fatal-accident-points-out-transport-challenge/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=18181</guid>
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		<category><![CDATA[Minnesota]]></category>
		<category>Wind power</category>
		<category>Wind energy</category>
		<title>Developers balking at proposed Woodbury wind turbine; Homebuyers would object to proximity, they warn city</title>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:18:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<nww:date>24 Sep 2008</nww:date>
		<nww:source>
		~		</nww:source>
					<description><![CDATA[What&#8217;s &#8220;green,&#8221; 18 stories tall and trashes property values? 
A wind turbine next to the new East Ridge High School in Woodbury — according to developers. 
Plans for a wind turbine roughly 200 feet tall hit a snag last week when developers balked at the idea of building houses nearby. They said buyers of high-end homes would be spooked by the noise and visual distraction of huge whirling fan blades. 
City officials are taking the threat seriously. 
&#8220;The developers said, .&#160;.&#160;.]]></description>
				<link>http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/09/24/developers-balking-at-proposed-woodbury-wind-turbine-homebuyers-would-object-to-proximity-they-warn-city/</link>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wind-watch.org/news/?p=18124</guid>
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