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The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is waiting to hear from Xcel Energy and New Era Wind in Goodhue County about what changes have taken place in the controversial wind project's power purchase agreement.
New Era was given until Sunday May 12 to resolve a delay in the production of a 78-megawatt wind farm in Goodhue County that is causing the company to default on an agreement to sell generated power, said Jim Alders of Xcel Energy.
"We are VERY unappreciative of this symbol being used by the USPS for Earth Day," Marie McNamara recently emailed postal officials in Washington. "Thanks for putting us on record as strongly objecting to the symbol of industrial wind turbines as a postmark. Thanks for putting us on record as wanting to see the postmark go away immediately."
Also filed under [
USA]
Last gasp for controversial Minnesota wind farm?
April 23, 2013 by Tom Steward in Minnesota Watchdog
April 23, 2013 by Tom Steward in Minnesota Watchdog
A letter from the owner of a proposed wind farm to regulators shows his frustration in the permitting process and a willingness to sell off assets of his investment.
"New Era has no confidence that due process for this project will ever end, nor that an ABPP (Avian and Bat Protection Plan) will ever be approved, however comprehensively and carefully drafted," said Peter Mastic, owner of New Era Wind Farm, in an April 17 letter to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
"New Era initiated discussion with NSP (Xcel Energy that was going to buy the wind power) to assign its power contracts to a third-party wind project developer and site," he wrote in a letter dated Wednesday. Three companies are interested and could get turbines turning this year or 2014. "Each of these projects is sited in a community that is far more receptive to wind energy than is Goodhue," he wrote.
U.S. District Judge Michael Davis dismissed a lawsuit filed by the developer of the 100-turbine Merricourt project, which remains unbuilt amid lingering fears that whooping cranes and piping plovers will be slashed to death by its turbine blades.
Also filed under [
Impact on Wildlife|
North Dakota]
EcoHarmony eliminates 113 turbines to get PUC approval
March 25, 2013 by John Weiss in Post Bulletin
March 25, 2013 by John Weiss in Post Bulletin
The 171-turbine, 280-megawatt project - which would have been the largest wind project in Minnesota - was reduced to a 58-turbine, 116-megawatt development by eliminating many of the turbines that had been targeted by critics. Issues remain before the project will break ground. Per Thursday's approval, Gamesa must submit an avian and bat protection plan.
Fillmore County wind project seeks to have permit extended
March 20, 2013 by Brett Boese in Post Bulletin
March 20, 2013 by Brett Boese in Post Bulletin
The most significant blow to the project may have been delivered last week, when PUC staff filed briefing papers. Staff recommended that the commission deny the requested amendments or table the request, require an avian and bat protection plan to be created and - perhaps most importantly - initiate potential revocation proceedings "since the permittee has not commenced construction."
The plug has reportedly been pulled on what could have been the largest wind project in Minnesota history.
EDP Renewables, formerly Horizon Wind, recently mailed project participants in Goodhue, Rice, Dodge and Steele counties letters informing them that the initial contract period was up and it would not be renewed.
New Era wind project delayed again before packed house at PUC
March 1, 2013 by Brett Boese in Post Bulletin
March 1, 2013 by Brett Boese in Post Bulletin
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission took another pass Thursday in deciding the fate of the controversial New Era wind project in Goodhue County. The commissioners voted unanimously to re-open the certificate of need docket, which was previously approved by the PUC in June 2011.
Regulators put off decision on south Minnesota wind farm
February 28, 2013 by Leslie Brooks Suzukamo in Pioneer Press
February 28, 2013 by Leslie Brooks Suzukamo in Pioneer Press
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously Thursday, Feb. 28, to re-examine the 78-megawatt New Era Wind Farm proposed for the area around Belle Creek, Zumbrota and Goodhue townships.
The delay is just the latest in a string of setbacks for the project, which ran into resistance as soon as it was introduced four years ago. Turbines were originally expected to be spinning by the end of 2011.
Representatives for the developer acknowledged the project was taking longer than anticipated and that they remained uncertain how soon construction could begin if regulatory hurdles were overcome.
The staff members recommended reopening the power purchase agreement docket New Era signed with Xcel Energy, ruling that the project is not a community-based energy development (C-BED) and asking the developer to "show cause" why the project's certificate of need should not be revoked.
Judge sides with farmers, AG in wind turbine dispute
February 22, 2013 by Scott Wasserman in KMSP Fox TV
February 22, 2013 by Scott Wasserman in KMSP Fox TV
On Thursday, farmers who bought a wind turbine from Renewable Energy in Excelsior saw a victory in court when a judge ordered the company to temporary halt future sales and open its financial books.
Court asked to halt Excelsior firm's turbine sales
February 14, 2013 by Dan Browning in Star Tribune
February 14, 2013 by Dan Browning in Star Tribune
The lawsuit alleges that Renewable Energy SD (RESD) sold farmers in Minnesota and elsewhere faulty windmills using federal stimulus money ...The company either failed to deliver many of the windmills or, in some cases, erected turbines that failed to perform properly or at all, the suit says.
With an eye on the controversial New Era wind project in Goodhue County, area legislators have put wind energy reform near the top of their agenda for a second straight session.
AG Swanson sues wind-energy firm for bilking Minnesota farmers
January 25, 2013 by Dan Browning in Star Tribune
January 25, 2013 by Dan Browning in Star Tribune
Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson filed a lawsuit Friday against a wind-energy company based in Excelsior alleging that it bilked farmers around Minnesota out of hundreds of thousands of dollars apiece utilizing federal stimulus money aimed at helping the country during the recession.
Minnesota PUC makes queries on New Era wind project
January 12, 2013 by Brett Boese in The Post-Bulletin
January 12, 2013 by Brett Boese in The Post-Bulletin
The PUC opened a public comment period Wednesday for a series of four questions dealing with the 78 megawatt project, which previously was called AWA Goodhue. The queries raise issues that date back to 2008 as the 32,000-acre project continues to face an unprecedented permitting process that has drawn national attention.
Despite credit extension, questions remain in wind projects
January 5, 2013 by Brett Boese in The Post-Bulletin
January 5, 2013 by Brett Boese in The Post-Bulletin
The report highlights an ongoing debate throughout the region for setback distances. Minnesota has a minimum setback of 500 feet of turbines from occupied dwellings. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency also states that turbines must create less than 50 decibels of noise to minimize impacts, which typically forces larger setbacks. However, the MPCA does not measure wind turbines for LFN impacts.
Also filed under [
USA]
New Era Wind not local, not C-BED say Goodhue County Commissioners
January 4, 2013 by Terri Washburn in The Kenyon Leader
January 4, 2013 by Terri Washburn in The Kenyon Leader
The Goodhue County Commissioners sent a letter to the Minnesota PUC stating that the principal elements of the original resolution no longer reflect the present ownership and operation of the Goodhue Wind project. ..."Logically, any such grandfathered status cannot survive a total change of ownership when the C-BED status rests solely on a determination of where a project's proceeds will be distributed," a letter from the commissioners states.