A recent article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune outlined the current debate surrounding the nation’s clean energy future. Using the situation in Minnesota as an example, the article highlights the important role new transmission development plays in reaching renewable goals set by Governors across the country and being proposed in energy legislation in Washington.
A few interesting statistics from the article that highlight the need for new transmission to take advantage of the growing wind industry in the Midwest:
- Last year dispatchers ordered farms in Minnesota and nearby states to “dump wind” 6,000 times, according to the Midwest Independent System Operator (Midwest ISO).
- Minnesota has about 150 wind projects waiting in line at the Midwest ISO to plug into the grid.
- There are so many stalled wind projects in Minnesota that if they were all hooked up, the state could probably triple its renewable energy goal of 25 percent.
Read the full article