This is certainly encouraging news! Combining pieces of some of Minnesota's most recent developments: C-BED, Suzlon, and future similar grant opportunities in some of the lesser wind developed areas of the state. The Dept. of Commerce will issue another RFP for a $200,000 in November! Stay tuned and read the press release below for details on this exciting 2MW Community Wind Project.

Winona wind energy project to receive $200,000 state grant
(St. Paul) – Community based wind energy generation continues to
grow in Minnesota with the announcement today that the Minnesota
Department of Commerce has awarded a $200,000 grant for a wind
turbine project in northwest Winona County.

The project will be developed under a joint powers authority with
seven owners:

• Winona County
• Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical
• St. Charles Economic Development Authority
• St. Charles School District
• Lewiston Economic Development Authority
• Winona State University
• Lewiston-Altura School District

Additional owners may be included, but will be limited to local
units of government, non-profit organizations, and educational
institutions.

"This project shows what can happen when local organizations come
together to develop a competitively-priced, community-based wind
energy project," said Mike Bull, Assistant Commissioner, Renewable
Energy and Advanced Technologies at the Minnesota Department of
Commerce. "Minnesota's energy security and economic health demand
that we develop more of Minnesota's renewable resources as homegrown
energy. That's why the Pawlenty Administration is committed to
community-based energy development (C-BED) in the state. It's good
for consumers, our economy, and the environment."

The project proposal calls for installing a 2 megawatt wind turbine
that will generate an estimated 5,631,000 kilowatt-hours – the
equivalent annual electricity use of about 700 Minnesota homes.

The proposed wind turbine will be manufactured by India-based Suzlon
Energy. Governor Pawlenty recently announced that Suzlon would build
its first U.S. production facility in Pipestone, Minnesota. The $14
million plant will employee 100 people and supply wind tower blades
and nose cones to the North American market.

In August, the Minnesota Department of Commerce announced that it
would award grants for grid connected utility scale community wind
energy projects in the state. Energy legislation passed by the
Minnesota legislature and signed by Governor Tim Pawlenty earlier
this year authorized funding from the Environment and Natural
Resources Trust Fund.

"The Winona grant application included everything we were looking
for," said Mike Taylor, Energy Program Administrator and Saint
Mary's University graduate. "We wanted community-based projects with
local ownership, community involvement, and a comprehensive
understanding of the process of installing a wind turbine of this
scale. Our hope is that there is another project like this somewhere
in Minnesota. We will issue a request for proposals for another
$200,000 grant in November"

The projects must be 900 kilowatts or more and must be installed and
operating with a Minnesota electric utility by June 2007. Community
projects include educational institutions, non-profit organizations,
tribal governments, and units of Minnesota government. The projects
may be located anywhere in the state except in Lincoln, Lyon,
Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, and Rock counties, where significant
amounts of wind energy is now generated and transmission is
constrained.

The Winona project may be financed, in part, using the new Community
Based Energy Development tariff - a unique electric utility payment
structure that helps Minnesota community wind projects receive a
higher electricity tariff in early debt years in exchange for a
lower tariff in later years. To qualify, a C-BED project must be
locally owned by Minnesota residents and must have a resolution of
support from the county board in which the project is located. C-
Bed was part of legislation proposed by the Pawlenty Administration
and passed nearly unanimously by the 2005 legislature.

The Commerce Department also worked this legislative session to
continue funding for the six rural Clean Energy Resource Teams
(CERTS) throughout the state. The CERTS initiative is a
collaboration of the Department of Commerce, University of Minnesota
and the Minnesota Project, which assists local communities and
citizens in exploring opportunities for renewable energy and energy
efficiency. More information can be found at
http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org.[B]Winona wind energy project to receive $200,000 state grant This is certainly encouraging news! Combining pieces of some of Minnesota's most recent developments: C-BED, Suzlon, and future similar grant opportunities in some of the lesser wind developed areas of the state. The Dept. of Commerce will issue another RFP for a $200,000 in November! Stay tuned and read the press release below for details on this exciting 2MW Community Wind Project.

More on the Winona project:

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Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at http://www.winonadailynews.com

Wind turbine notes for sale
By Brian Voerding / Winona Daily News

Starting today, anyone with $10 can help pay for Winona County’s proposed community wind turbine.

Sustain Winona, one of the project partners, will sell Energy Notes to help pay for smaller initiatives in the estimated $3 million project.

“Energy self-efficiency is an important priority,” said Martha Greenwald, a Sustain Winona coordinator. “(Energy Notes) are a low-cost way for people to positively participate.”

The $10 notes will first be available at today’s daylong Energy Summit at Winona State University, and later at the Book Shelf, the university bookstore, and at both Mugby Junction coffee shop locations.

County recycling coordinator Anne Morse, who has been involved with the turbine project since its inception, said note sales show community involvement and can help bring in grant revenue.

The group plans to sell them once a month or as needed; each month’s note will have a different design, done by Rochester artist Susan Waughtal.

November’s notes will fund migratory bird studies at proposed turbine sites; the studies are already under way and are expected to be completed Nov. 8. The study will look at the effect a wind turbine would have on bird migration patterns.

Earlier this year, the county began exploring the idea of a community-owned wind turbine. The county board has supported it, and the county recently applied for a $200,000 state grant. The proposed turbine would generate 2 megawatts of electricity, and with tax credits and energy savings, would pay for itself in about 10 years.