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In search of a cheap, renewable energy source Wind energy conference draws large crowdBy Amy Dallum Three years ago there were just 100 participants. This year far exceeded organizers expectations with over 700 people from all over the country, from every walk of life. The exposition began with an introduction from Senator Dorgan speaking on the future of wind energy and the role of North Dakota in particular. ěOur future must not be in the hands of the Kuwaitis and Saudis.î Sen. Dorgan was referring to the fact that so much of the fuel used to heat our homes comes from foreign oil. ěNorth Dakota is dead last in trees, but dead first in opportunity to produce wind,î he said and also called North Dakota the ěSaudi Arabia of wind.î Although North Dakota is ranked number one in wind energy potential it has just recently started harvesting wind energy. Last week they cut the ribbon for the first 900kW commercial wind tower that was erected in January. The tower is located near Valley City, North Dakota. Transmission the main barrier Governor John Hoeven was also on hand for the conference. He explained that it was going to take change for green power to be integrated in the current energy system. ěWe have incredible potentialî as far as renewable energy sources, he said. In fact, a 1990 study revealed that there was enough wind energy in the state of North Dakota to supply 36 percent of this countryís power needs. Garmen is keynote speaker Garmen explained the importance of tax credits to keep the cost of wind energy down. In 1979 the cost of wind energy was 80 cents per kilowatt-hour and today with tax credits, the cost is down to less than six cents per kilowatt- hour. He also stressed the importance of continued expansion of research and development efforts. He hopes to see the federal dollars for this research increase from $38.6M in 2002 to $44M in 2003. He said North Dakota plays an important role in the wind energy market with the state having 250,000 megawatts of wind potential. He said, ěEach new turbine of one to one and a half megawatts of electricity equals the electricity of one to one and a half homes and produces $1M of revenue.î He said everyone will have to play a part from farmers to US Senators to the President of the United States. ěWhat Alaska is to oil, North Dakota is to wind.î First wind tower in northwestern Minnesota The study started in 1987 with the fist 65 kW tower in northwestern Minnesota. In 2001 there were towers in North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming, Colorado, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Their combined output was 1,032 megawatts with the largest concentration being in the Buffalo Ridge region in southwest Minnesota. Many of the participants stopped at the various booths eager to gather any information that could steer them toward a decision as to whether or not wind turbines could be beneficial to them. One in particular was an administrator of a local hospital who was interested in lowering the staggering cost of electricity used to run the hospital. He stated that the hospital is currently paying roughly $15,000 a month in electric bills. His main objective was to be able to lower the operating cost of the hospital so that that cost didnít have to be ultimately passed down to the patients. Will wind energy work for me? The average system has a five- to 30-year payback. The costs can seem staggering for individuals looking to convert to wind energy. The systems start as low as $9,000-$10,000 and go up from there. After three attempts, North Dakota resident Brad Crabtree finally has his system running. Crabtree lives in South Central North Dakota where the average daily wind speed is between 20 and 22 miles per hour. He built a straw bale house that environmentally friendly and energy efficient. Most of his windows are on the south side of the house and all of the materials used to build the house were recycled. He has combined the wind energy with solar energy and reported that the total cost of his project was between $16,000 and $20,000. But he and his family live in rural North Dakota where zoning and neighbors arenít a factor for him. Residents who live within city limits may have a hard time converting to a home wind system and may have to rely on the electric companyís wind energy. The main obstacles for the city dweller are the local zoning laws. One participant said Grand Forks city has incentives for erecting wind turbines but the local zoning prohibits wind turbines within city limits. Another point that was brought up was that the only way to harvest the wind energy was to have a tower as high as can be built, but there are restrictions to how high one can build a tower within city limits. On the positive side There are 20 states that offer tax credits for small wind and some have net metering. South Dakota has tax incentives, North Dakota has net metering, and Minnesota has both. Minnesotaís approach to small wind is inviting. Minnesota requires electric cooperatives to allow net metering, or buying excess generation at the average retail rate. This was seen by some as a major deciding factor because not only would they be not reliant on the energy company for their energy but they will be making money as well. Buffalo Ridge is largest concentration of turbines John MacFarlane, CEO of Otter Tail Power Company in Fergus Falls, Minn. said from this point forward ěexpect wind energy to grow in Minnesota.î He said that although other investor-owned utilities havenít been mandated to add wind generation, they have because of customer requests. He also said that it is likely that there will be more wind energy in the state because certain state agencies and the governor are making it a priority. The hopes of all those involved in the wind energy is that this kind of renewable energy will be cheaper than traditional energy sources. According to the American Wind Energy Association, Minnesota ranks ninth in wind potential and second in wind capacity. Besides Buffalo Ridge, wind turbines are in use in Elk River, Moorhead, and Clay, Becker and Otter Tail counties. ©ECM Post Review |