Answering Energy Shortages with Alternative Sources

Our nation is currently experiencing serious energy shortages, and our local governments are being forced to find new solutions to meet energy demands. Renewable energy is proving to be a reliable alternative and regional development organizations, like Minnesota’s Southwest Regional Development Commission (SRDC) have been instrumental in planning for the development of renewable energy industries. The classic definition is any energy source that is not diminished by how much energy we remove today. Solar, wind and hydro are the usual big three.

Wind Power
SRDC, an Economic Development Administration (EDA) funded district, is committed to setting the stage for the development of a regional wind power industry. In 1996, SRDC received funding from the McKnight Foundation to draft a wind power planning and zoning guide.

Annette Bair, SRDC’s Physical Development Director, explains the need for the guide, “Wind power seems simple and clean, but there are facets to effective planning. Misplacement of the large metal wind turbines or industrial sized windmills may obstruct wind flow patterns or be a public nuisance. We address community concerns like ground vibration, iced propellers in winter hurling ice and bird kills.”

Planning assessments revealed pitfalls that the wind farm industry forming along the region’s Buffalo Ridge will likely face. Smaller wind farms lease their energy generations to large utilities, which are state mandated to increase wind power capacity. “Assessments identified there would be a shortage of transmission lines needed to support sending leased energy to utilities. We also calculated the loss of personal tax revenues, since wind power generation machinery is not state taxed,” explains Jack Keers, Chair of SRDC’s energy task force.

David Benson, a member of the region’s ten-county energy task force, notes, “The planning guide should be revisited often to remind local leaders about the benefits of acting regionally. Wind power is a regional resource, which is why partnering with groups like Resource Conservation and Development Councils (RC & Ds) who look at the area as a region is crucial to the industry’s success.” According to a CNN interview with Enron Wind Corp., one of the region’s utility companies with several wind power operations, the electricity they produce supplies almost 200,000 Midwesterners, saves 300,000 tons of coal and 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Biomass

Biomass at work

Biomass, or agriculture waste/excess, is another alternative renewable source. Using the work of Minnesota Project as a model, SRDC is teaching local leaders about biomass as an energy resource. The nonprofit Minnesota Project is known for its successful methane projects that combine rural economic development and environmental concerns.

Carl Nelson, a Minnesota Project Assistant, explains what biomass planning entails, “Producing biomass fuels is not just burning manure to produce power or fertilizer, like many people think. Decisions must be made about what is cost effective and environmentally sound.”

“Producing biomass fuels is not just burning manure to produce power or fertilizer, like many people think. Decisions must be made about what is cost effective and environmentally sound.” — Carl Nelson, Minnesota Project Assistant

Nelson described one instance where determining whether or not to heat turkey farm waste was worth the money, time and energy put into producing biogas or methane. “In this case, raw turkey manure had a greater market value and demand than methane. We had to ask ourselves if it was good for community economic development. We also have to be careful not to publicly discourage recycling.”

SRDC is planning to conduct educational tours for local government leaders at the Minnesota Project’s biomass facilities. Keers explains, “The key is to keep in consultation with groups, like the local RC & Ds and the Minnesota Project, that have regional environmental knowledge.” Smith Covey, Liaison for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service RC & D Councils comments, “This type of planning partnership provides the diversity necessary to meet the development needs in rural areas.”

By Kelly Novak, NADO Research Foundation Research Manager
For more information, contact Annette Bair at SRDC (507) 836-8547; Craig Nelson of Minnesota Power at (800) 366-4793; and Smith Covey of NRCS at (202) 434-4782.

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