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.
We should not rely on wind energy: Letter
Wind energy is not an agricultural commodity, as hogs, cattle, and grain are. It is not a product that supports rural economic development. It does not revitalize communities. It damages them. Around the world, industrial wind turbines have driven people away from homes due to their noise, flicker, red all-night lights, and just plain being very ugly. In 2016, three wind turbine towers in Fairbank, Iowa, were taken down by court order. One lady in Fairbank said, “I’m thrilled. The . . . Complete story »
Walz fills vacancy on state Public Utilities Commission
Sullivan lobbied for several regional environmental groups before joining the Commerce Department, including the Minnesota Center for Energy and Environment, and Wind on the Wires, a wind power advocacy group active in Minnesota and its neighboring states. Complete story »
Commentary: a rural community considers the complexities of wind energy
Residents of Murray County, Minnesota, value the small-town feel, knowing people wherever they go, peace and quiet, and a strong sense of community. Murray, with an estimated population of 8,300, is a primarily agricultural county in southwest Minnesota. As you drive through the prairie, you can see farm fields stretching to the horizon. The landscape has changed over the past 20 years, though. Today, Murray County has 255 wind turbines that dot the horizon. Sentiments about expanding wind energy production . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine planned near Altura
A new, 430-foot-tall wind turbine could soon be erected at the same site north of Altura where two failed wind turbines were demolished in 2018. Wind developer Paul Roeder, of Waukon, Iowa, and Wes Slaymaker of WES Engineering, based in Madison, Wis., plan to build a new turbine on Leroy and Suelynn Kronebusch’s farm at 15535 County Road 31, just outside Altura. At 430 feet in height including the rotors, the proposed new tower would be taller than two, 335-foot-tall . . . Complete story »
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 »
