You can’t accuse John Koskan of thinking small. Koskan, a former Republican legislator from Wood, outlined a plan Wednesday to use money from the state cement plant sale and a temporary sales tax increase to build three power lines across South Dakota. The transmission lines would help South Dakota position itself as a leader in production and export of wind energy, Koskan told the Senate State Affairs Committee. Big vision, little support.

Knight & Carver will make conventional turbine blades at first. But earlier this month, it made a single curved blade designed to tap into low-speed winds not captured with current technology. South Dakota is one of the windiest places in the nation, yet it trails neighboring states in developing wind energy. The new facility is part of an effort to find a niche in the emerging industry while bringing technology jobs to rural areas.

MITCHELL, S.D. - The major-party candidates seeking a six-year term on the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission have made wind energy a big issue in their campaigns. Democrat Steve Kolbeck of Brandon said the PUC needs to be more aggressive in making deals with companies that build transmission lines that South Dakota energy providers could use. Republican John Koskan of Wood said the PUC needs to consider all forms of energy and be creative in its marketing because of growing markets in places like the Twin Cities.

A company that is planning a wind power project across the North Dakota-South Dakota border wants to construct a 10-mile power line to connect the turbines to North Dakota’s electrical grid, state regulators say. The Public Service Commission on Wednesday accepted Tatanka Wind Power LLC’s letter of intent to build the Dickey County power line, which the company hopes to begin constructing in March. Company filings estimate the project’s cost at $7.3 million.

A large wind farm that’s being built in Brookings County, South Dakota, and Lincoln County, Minnesota, must be operating by the end of next year so it can qualify for federal tax credits.

With all the wind in South Dakota, seeing more wind turbines on the horizon would only seem to make sense. Xcel Energy Spokesman, Kent Larson, says “As you all know South Dakota has been called the Saudi Arabia of wind with tremendous potential to provide clean, reliable energy to our customers. ” Thursday’s announcement of a new 150-Megawatt wind power project, set to share the border between South Dakota and Minnesota, is significant because that potential is slowly becoming reality. Gary Hanson, with South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, says, “This means the breaking of the ground and the pioneering on the eastern side is just going to grow exponentially.”

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- Senator Tim Johnson says construction can proceed on a wind energy farm in the Brookings area. He says the Minn-Dakota wind farm would be the largest wind energy project in South Dakota.

EUREKA - If wind power production in South Dakota could function like value-added agriculture, the benefits to the state would be great. The concept has the backing of the state Public Utilities Commission. But making it work could take time, commissioners say. What's called community-based development was a popular topic at a PUC meeting in Eureka on Wednesday night. About 80 people attended the 90-minute session that focused on wind energy.

AGENCY VILLAGE, S.D. (AP) - The Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate is moving forward with plans to develop a wind farm on tribal trust lands in northeast South Dakota. The tribe has hired the engineering and consulting firm Black and Veatch of Overland Park, Kan., to help develop the project. Three company representatives explained the plans at a community meeting Thursday. Interim tribal chairman Jerry Flute said he would like to see the project focus on producing electricity for local use.

The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission will have a public meeting in Eureka at 7 p.m. Wednesday to discuss wind energy development.

WASHINGTON — Southern California and the urban centers from Northern Virginia to New York face the most critical power grid problems, but such remote areas as Montana and the Dakotas may need new transmission lines in the near future, an Energy Department report warns.

SIOUX FALLS (AP) — Developers and officials hope that three wind farm projects in the works for South Dakota will go forward despite military officials’ concerns that turbines might interfere with radar.

A Minneapolis company has filed a permit request with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission for a wind farm in Brookings County that would have 100 turbines.

The five-year wind-farm development project, with an anticipated total generating capacity of 2,015 MW, will be located at five wind farms in New York, Texas, and South Dakota, the companies said.

Utility officials say the facility can be used to make extra electricity during the hottest days of summer and other times of need. The turbine is fueled by natural gas and can be switched on and off quickly.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - An upgrade of the state's power grid would include a $600 million high-voltage transmission line from the South Dakota border to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area - and that's just part of the plan proposed by a coalition of utility companies. The plan also calls for a second high-voltage line from Fargo, N.D., to the St. Cloud area, a third line from the Minneapolis-area to Rochester and then to La Crosse, Wis., and a smaller fourth line in the Bemidji area.

Environmentalists from South Dakota and Minnesota hope to persuade decision makers to opt for wind energy over coal as they consider a new generating plant in northeast South Dakota.

MITCHELL, S.D. - Production of wind-powered electricity in South Dakota is well behind its potential, but a state official says that's not all bad.

ST. FRANCIS, S.D. -- The irony hits tribal resource planner Ken Haukaas in the face, straight on in a stiff February breeze.

ST. FRANCIS - The irony hits Ken Haukaas in the face, straight on in a stiff February breeze.