Taconite Ridge wind farm almost at full power

Minnesota Power announces that the new Taconite Ridge wind energy farm on the Iron Range will soon be, hearkening my favorite line from Star Wars, fully operational.

As you approach or leave Virginia and Mt. Iron from the west side take a look at these turbines. I think they're freaking awesome. Turbines like these built near mining facilities could produce a healthy portion of the power these big plants need. Baseload comes from the cleaned-up Minnesota Power plants at Cohasset, Aurora and Silver Bay along with a small natural gas peaking plant that may need to be built in a strategic location. People all over the Range could install smaller turbines on their property with tax credits and really take a bite out of carbon emissions locally. Minnesota Power should sell home wind turbines to keep their fingers on the Benjamins. Everyone stays happy. Well, almost everyone.

Minnesota Power to step up wind power by 200 mW

I'm already breaking my no blog rule for the day.

Minnesota Power announces the purchase of a transmission line and the intention to phase out of one of its coal contracts in favor of 200 megawatts of wind power from the Dakotas. From today's MP's press release:

In a major move to accelerate its strategy of reducing carbon emissions and expanding renewable wind energy development, Minnesota Power proposes to purchase a major transmission line from North Dakota, phase out a long-term contract to buy coal-based electricity, and add several hundred megawatts of wind generation.

The key element of this strategic project is Minnesota Power’s purchase of a direct current (DC) transmission line that extends from the wind-rich plains of central North Dakota to the Arrowhead Substation in Hermantown, Minn.

The proposal calls for the DC line, now owned by Square Butte Electric Cooperative, to be sold to Minnesota Power for approximately $80 million in early 2009. It is now used to transmit electricity generated at the Milton R. Young Generating Station in Center, N.D. 465 miles eastward for purchase by Minnesota Power.

Direct current is a more economical way to transmit power over long distances than the standard AC, or alternating current, transmission line. The DC line being purchased by Minnesota Power is a strategic and valuable transmission link between the vast wind resource in North Dakota and electric consumers eager to increase their reliance on renewable energy.

"Three decades ago, the DC line was built to move low-cost coal-based electricity from North Dakota to power the growing taconite industry in northeast Minnesota’s Iron Range," said Don Shippar, ALLETE CEO. "Back then, it was described as a way to transport ‘coal by wire.’ Now we will use the line to transmit ‘wind by wire’."

UPDATE: Minnesota moves up wind power rankings

Take a look at this post from Bluestem Prairie, citing a Rochester Bulletin story. Minnesota has moved into third place nationally for wind power generation. And that doesn't include those lean 25 MW from Taconite Ridge on the Iron Range set to go online this year. Minnesota is windy, let's make that work for us.

Maybe we'll make #2 by 2009 so we can get a first round bye in the Wind-lympics.

Over at MNBlue today...

I'm running errands this morning, but will be back with some newer material tonight. Meantime, check out my latest contributions at www.mnblue.com. They are rehashes of material I've posted here before about wind power on the Iron Range and the potential Republican challenger to U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar. Sometimes the discussions take interesting turns with the metro blog audience, though, so it might be worth a check if you're bored.

Turbine time!

From today's Mesabi Daily News:

Work is progressing rapidly on the Taconite Ridge Wind Turbine project in Mountain Iron. These towers are part of a ten tower project which will produce 25 megawatts of power and will be hooked into the Minnesota Power grid. When completed the towers will be about 315 tall. Photo by Mark Sauer

We could build hundreds of these things along the tall ridge of the Iron Range, producing a modern landscape that could usher in a new era of innovation. People get worked up about the birds, but we can work on that.

Wind, biomass and hydro usurp coal for next decade

If you had a time machine and brought this article back in time, even as recently as 2002, I might have suspected it was a work of fiction. Minnesota Power, the biggest coal burner in the state, is predicting no new coal-fired generation for at least 15 years. Instead, the company is planning additional wind, biomass and hydroelectric generation.

Minnesota Power: Renewable energy use likely to cut need for coal
Peter Passi
Duluth News Tribune - 10/31/2007

Despite growing demand for electricity, Minnesota Power said it projects it will have no need for additional coal-fired generation for the next 15 years.

The Duluth-based company will submit its resource plan today to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. That plan forecasts that by 2022, its customer load will approach 1,950 megawatts. Minnesota Power’s customers consume almost 1,750 megawatts of power. One megawatt is typically enough energy to power 250 to 300 homes.

“Through this resource plan, we’re recommitting to our goal of reducing carbon emissions,” said Dave McMillan, a senior vice president for Minnesota Power.

While Minnesota Power plans to steer clear of new coal-fired plants, it does aim to increase its overall power-generating capacity. McMillan said the company expects to add 300 to 500 megawatts of renewable energy through investments in wind power, hydroelectric and biomass-fueled plants.

McMillan said Minnesota Power continues to explore the possibility of building a biomass unit at Laskin Energy Center in Hoyt Lakes. He said he expects to announce an East Range project some time in the next several years.

The company already buys 50 megawatts of electricity from the Oliver Wind Energy facility in North Dakota and it expects to have another 50 megawatts of North Dakota wind power online by year’s end. During 2008, Minnesota Power plans to install 10 large wind turbines on Minntac property in Mountain Iron, adding 25 megawatts of wind power.

By state law, Minnesota utility companies will need to generate 25 percent of their electricity through renewable sources by 2025.

As Minnesota Power leans more heavily on wind power, it will need more plants that kick in during breezeless spells and periods of high demand.

McMillan said these generators probably will be fueled by natural gas. He said they will operate only as needed. Typically, natural gas-powered generators produce about 40 percent less carbon dioxide per megawatt than coal-fired plants.

The plants also will help Minnesota Power meet the challenge of growing air conditioner use in the Northland. McMillan said Minnesota Power has seen a surge in warm-weather electrical demand in recent years, largely because of growing development in the Brainerd area.

Several large industrial projects on the Iron Range also will boost Minnesota Power’s need for baseload electrical generation. Minnesota Power is preparing to supply electricity to new mining and processing plants now in the works, including PolyMet, which will need 75 megawatts of electricity, and Mesabi Nugget, which will need at least 15 megawatts, McMillan said.

Minnesota Power has a couple of merchant power contracts expiring in the next few years. This electricity, which had been sold under contract to other utilities in the past, will now be used to supply Minnesota Power’s customers, McMillan said. By 2010, the company should have about an additional 250 megawatts at its disposal as a result.

Note to those who believe in the Mesaba Energy Project boondoggle: That project is too expensive, unnecessary and risky to taxpayers and Northeastern Minnesota citizens. Spend your efforts instead on the Nashwauk steel plant, public works and small business development.