Clean Energy Resource Teams

In Fall 2001, the Pipestone-Jasper School District, perfectly sited on Minnesota’s Buffalo Ridge, was awarded one of Xcel Energy’s RDF grants to construct a wind turbine. They harnessed the power of the wind to supply some of their energy needs, and built the wind turbine into their environmental science curriculum.

In the Fall of 2002, two of the first farmer-owned wind projects in Minnesota went online in Rock County. Minwind I and II each consist of two 950 kW turbines. Mark Willers: “We wanted a farmer-owned project that would bring economic development, get farmers a return on their investment, and could use local businesses and contractors to do the work.”

Moorhead is home to two 750 kW wind turbines, Sephyr and Freedome. Moorhead Public Service’s Capture the Wind program has garnered national attention for its energy program innovation, high levels of participation, and low premium rates.

In September 2000, the Worthington Public Utilities assembled a task force of citizens to investigate the merit of wind power in Worthington.

By the end of 2005, Northfield will be close to generating 6 percent of their energy needs locally. This has been made possible in large part by RENew Northfield.

The planning process for a Carleton College wind turbine started in mid 2002 with a meeting between the Northfield School District, St. Olaf College, the City of Northfield, Carleton College, and Renewable Energy for a New Northfield, a non profit working to make Northfield less dependent on non renewable sources of energy an to move to a more sustainable, efficicent use of locally owned renewable energy resources.

Bob Meyerson became interested in wind energy as a way to enhance farm income when the bankers committee he was serving on decided to finance a wind project in Southern Minnesota.

The West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris, Minnesota is an excellent model of a community-scale project incorporating research and demonstration of renewable energy.

In August 2003, Pope County Windpower received a USDA grant from the Renewable Energy/Energy Efficient Program to install a 35kW wind turbine.

This urban wind turbine project, a join effort between the college and Xcel Energy, is a small 10-KW wind turbine.