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Wind Power News: North Dakota
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational mission 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. The original articles, links to which are provided, may have additional links and photos and other media that were not included here.
Wind energy company kills 150 eagles in US, pleads guilty
A subsidiary of one of the largest U.S. providers of renewable energy pleaded guilty to criminal charges and was ordered to pay over $8 million in fines and restitution after at least 150 eagles were killed at its wind farms in eight states, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. NextEra Energy subsidiary ESI Energy was also sentenced to five years probation after being charged with three counts of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act during a court appearance in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The . . . Complete story »
Basin Electric fells decommissioned wind turbine near Minot
The 154-ton wind tower hit the ground south of Minot with a loud boom as traffic whizzed by on nearby U.S. Highway 83 Monday. It was the planned and coordinated demolition of one of the oldest wind towers in North Dakota to feed the electrical grid. A demolition crew from Minnesota began working Monday morning to set up cables and cut into the blue tower pedestal, using the “chop and drop” method to eventually bring the tower down like falling . . . Complete story »
Basin Electric removes 2 of North Dakota’s first wind turbines
Two of North Dakota’s oldest wind turbines came down Monday. The turbines at Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s Minot Wind facility are among the first in the state to stop operating. The co-op constructed them 20 years ago next to U.S. Highway 83 south of Minot. “The turbines are being taken down because they are at the end of their useful life, and parts and service are no longer available,” said Joe Fiedler, Basin Electric’s manager of distributed generation. “While it . . . Complete story »
North Dakota regulators fine Xcel for wind farm lighting delay
Xcel Energy has agreed to pay a $4,500 penalty for failing to meet the state’s deadline for operating light-mitigating technology on a wind farm north of Jamestown. The North Dakota Public Service Commission approved the fine Wednesday for the utility’s Courtenay Wind Farm in Stutsman County near the small town of Courtenay. Xcel missed the deadline by nine days, amounting to a fine of $500 per day. Two wind farms operated by other companies remain out of compliance with the . . . Complete story »
Xcel Energy fined for being late on installing new wind farm lighting system
Xcel Energy has agreed to pay a $4500 fine because it missed the deadline for replacing the wind turbine lights at the Courtenay Wind Farm. The deadline to replace the existing blinking red lights with a radar-based “Aircraft Detection Lighting System” was Dec. 31st, 2021. Xcel had asked for an extension in mid-December, but the North Dakota Public Service Commission denied that request. Xcel filed a “status update” Dec. 31st, which said the ADLS system was installed. “But 63 tower . . . Complete story »
North Dakota fines Xcel Energy over wind farm light suppressant delay
BISMARCK – Regulators on the North Dakota Public Service Commission have fined Xcel Energy $4,500 for failing to have functioning technology installed to suppress the red blinking lights on a Stutsman County wind farm by a state-imposed, end of 2021 deadline. The Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy missed the Dec. 31 deadline to have technology operating on its Courtenay Wind Farm north of Jamestown that would prevent the lights from blinking unless aircraft came into the area. The utility company met the state’s . . . Complete story »
Stark County officials, public review proposed changes to wind energy ordinance
Wind energy is a renewable resource, but the placement of wind farms can be controversial. Stark County leaders are discussing possible changes to the zoning ordinance for turbines that could impact how the neighbors feel about them. Some of the most notable changes involve increasing the turbine distance from highways. They also discussed the need to change the distance from habitable structures and wetlands. The group also talked about raising the bond amount to pay for removing the turbines when . . . Complete story »
PSC rejects another wind farm lighting extension request
North Dakota regulators have denied another wind farm operator’s request for more time to comply with the state’s law requiring technology to mitigate the blinking red lights atop wind turbines at night. The Public Service Commission voted 2-0 this week to reject the request brought by Onward Energy Holdings for its Sunflower wind farm in Morton and Stark counties. The commission has rejected several similar requests in recent weeks. The deadline to install the technology has already passed – it fell . . . Complete story »
Wind farm planned for McLean County would be North Dakota’s largest
Great River Energy plans to receive power from what’s expected to become the largest standalone wind farm in North Dakota, slated for southern McLean County near Coal Creek Station. The Minnesota-based power cooperative and wind developer Apex Clean Energy announced the 400-megawatt Discovery Wind project Tuesday, two weeks after GRE informed regulators in Minnesota that such an effort was in the works. The transmission line that runs from Coal Creek to Minnesota will carry electricity generated by Discovery Wind. When . . . Complete story »
Great River signs agreement to build big North Dakota wind farm
Great River Energy has reached an agreement to build one of the largest wind farms in North Dakota. The deal announced Tuesday with developer Apex Clean Energy comes nearly two weeks after Minnesota utility regulators approved the controversial sale of Great River’s 436-mile power line from North Dakota to the Twin Cities. Maple Grove-based Great River sold the power line along with its big coal-fired power plant in McLean County N.D. Clean energy groups protested the sale because it will . . . Complete story »
