Wind Power News: Minnesota
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Peterson to seek different permit, conditions from zoning board
A Karlstad man plans to apply for a variance on an existing conditional use permit, which would allow him to get a wind turbine blade salvage operation up and running. Troy Peterson visited with the Kittson County Commission on Tuesday, Dec. 31 during its final meeting of the year. He was going to start breaking down turbine blades on property in Deerwood Township where he has a conditional use permit for a salvage operation. However, having not met the conditions . . . Complete story »
Dodge county wind farm project put on hold
According to the Minnesota Commerce Department, the Dodge County Wind, LLC (DCW) withdrew a proposal for a wind farm in Dodge and Steele Counties. The DCW, a subsidiary of NexEra Energy Resources, withdrew the proposal for a 210 plus mile long 345-kilovolt high-voltage transmission line through Dodge and Olmsted counties to connect to the wind farm. “The project withdrew from its original point of interconnection due to unusually high transmission upgrade fees that were being imposed by the regional grid . . . Complete story »
Residents concerned about planned operation in Deerwood Township
Residents and landowners in Deerwood Township in Kittson County are concerned about one man’s plan to break down wind turbine blades for disposal. The Deerwood Township Board held an informational meeting on Monday, Dec. 16 at the town hall just north of Highway 11 and west of Karlstad. Although the meeting concerned the recent and impending actions of Troy Peterson, he did not attend the meeting. However, about 20 residents and landowners asked questions regarding Peterson’s operations. Peterson has a . . . Complete story »
A clean energy compromise? One plan gets new life in Minnesota Legislature
ST. PAUL – Minnesota Senate Republicans on Thursday, Jan. 2, announced they’d introduce a plan to require the state’s electric utilities to move away from fossil fuel sources. A similar plan had bipartisan support last year but came up short in the divided state Legislature. Now, with the support of a key gatekeeper in the Senate, it could have a path to the governor’s desk. Sen. David Osmek, R-Mound, chairs the Senate Energy and Utilities Committee and previously opposed the proposal . . . Complete story »
Renewables ‘hit a wall’ in saturated Upper Midwest grid
In August, two wind farm developers quietly withdrew their requests to tie into the Midwest power grid. NextEra Energy Inc. and Southern Power Co. filed the notices with regulators in Minnesota and North Dakota, respectively. The documents didn’t draw much attention. Developers routinely enter the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) interconnection queue and later drop out if projects aren’t feasible. But renewable energy advocates in the region say the projects belong to a much larger group of wind and solar . . . Complete story »
UMN researchers seek to save raptors killed by wind turbines
University of Minnesota researchers are evaluating eagles’ auditory responses as part of an ongoing effort to prevent fatalities caused by wind turbine collisions. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the researchers tested a variety of sounds to determine what eagles can hear, with the ultimate goal of using their findings to add sounds to wind turbines to prevent casualties. Raptors that hunt during the day are among the most common species of bird killed by wind turbines, according to . . . Complete story »
Life below the turbines: How wind energy is affecting rural Minnesota
What started with just a few wind turbines 20 years ago, now turns out nearly 20% of Minnesota’s electricity. But the towering blades haven’t come without questions and controversy in rural Minnesota. WCCO has a progress report on wind energy’s real cost. In last year’s Super Bowl, ad experts ranked Budweiser’s commercial that promoted wind energy as one of the best. On a farm far away, the reviews weren’t as kind from a Facebook video that went viral. “Hello, Budweiser. . . . Complete story »
Minnesota’s days of cheaper electricity seem numbered
Hefty rate hikes that Minnesota’s largest utilities are seeking could push the state’s electricity prices above the national average for the first time in years. Residential prices in Minnesota have been more expensive than for the nation as a whole since 2016, federal data show. With businesses included, the state’s total power price last year almost hit the national average. Then earlier this month, Minnesota’s two largest electric utilities – Xcel Energy and Minnesota Power – asked state regulators for significant rate . . . Complete story »
Commission OKs CUPs for wind study
Another wind power company is testing the waters for possible wind turbines being built in Faribault County. This time it is in the Kiester and Walters areas. The Faribault County Planning Commission spent a large part of their meeting on Tuesday evening, Nov. 11, considering three conditional use permits (CUPs) from Southern Hills Wind, LLC. The three CUPs all had to do with the construction of meteorological towers (Met Towers) in the Kiester area. Two would be in Kiester Township, . . . Complete story »
Dodge County wind farm weighing grid options
ST. PAUL – NextEra Energy has scrapped its plan to connect a proposed wind farm in the southeastern Minnesota counties of Dodge and Steele to the electric grid. In its initial request for a route permit, the company put forward a plan to connect the farm to an electrical substation in Byron, by way of a 21-to-26-mile transmission line. But citing cost concerns, the company later requested that its application for the permit – one of three needed to build the project – . . . Complete story »
