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Wind Power News: North Dakota
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort 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.
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 »
Wind farm dismantling method prompts debate among North Dakota regulators
North Dakota regulators on Wednesday approved a wind farm’s plan for dismantling its turbines at the end of the facility’s life using a new method that drew a comparison to chopping down trees. The Public Service Commission approved the proposal in a 2-1 vote amid a disagreement over the potential environmental impact of the method and its cost, among other issues. Also at Wednesday’s meeting, commissioners denied a different wind farm’s request for more time to comply with the state’s . . . Complete story »
One wind farm granted lighting waiver while North Dakota regulators reject extensions for others
A wind farm near intercontinental ballistic missile silos in central North Dakota will not have to install a system to keep the lights atop its turbines from blinking all night. The Public Service Commission on Wednesday granted Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s request for a waiver from the state’s light mitigation law for its PrairieWinds ND1 wind farm south of Minot. The waiver means its lights can continue to blink at night, but that could change in the future if new . . . Complete story »
