Nearly two dozen school districts in southern Minnesota would have hundreds of thousands of dollars restored to their budgets next year under a tax provision passed in the state Senate on Wednesday. An amendment, introduced by Sen. Dan Sparks of Austin, would restore to school districts the revenue generated by an energy production tax on wind farms. Triton, Grand Meadow and Southland are among the 22 districts that would benefit from this revenue stream at a time when schools are struggling financially, legislators say. ...Those odds are still considered long. Spark's amendment passed by only a single vote, while exposing a deep regional rift between rural and metro legislators.

Suzlon Rotor Corp., a manufacturer of wind turbine blades in Pipestone, has paid a $19,000 penalty to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for alleged violations of air quality regulations. According to the MPCA, the company failed to obtain an air quality permit prior to construction and operation of the facility. With the potential to emit 27 tons per year of hazardous air pollutants, 17 tons of which could be xylene, the company is subject to federal standards for hazardous air pollutants. Xylene includes types of benzene used as solvents. Construction of the plant began without an air quality permit in November 2005, and the facility began operation one year later.

On the heels of hefty budget cuts, Grand Meadow Public Schools is now faced with losing thousands of dollars in revenue from wind turbines. Superintendent Joe Brown said his district expected to get $50,000 in extra revenue next year thanks to a tax on area wind farms. But a change to state law last year means schools would no longer benefit from the wind energy production tax. Meanwhile, efforts by area lawmakers this session to restore the tax benefits have met stiff opposition. Brown said his district, which is currently in statutory operating debt, had been counting on the wind tax dollars.

The City of Fergus Falls is well on its way to adopting a policy regarding the installation of commercial and private wind turbines. Wind Energy Conservation Systems (WECS) were the order of business at Monday's Planning Commission meeting, where members approved an ordinance that may see a first reading by the city council as early as Monday. Fergus Falls currently has a temporary moratorium on wind turbines. The six-month ordinance was passed by the council in late February following requests for turbines by both residential and industrial users.

Officials from Clear Wind met with Kenyon area residents in March to discuss the possibility of putting up windmills in part of Kenyon Township. The Minneapolis company is looking at a number of wind energy projects in Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska but "nothing is definitive" in this area, said Heather Wayne, Clear Wind project coordinator. ... Not all residents are pleased that Goodhue County may become a wind farm hot spot. A grassroots group called Citizens for Environmental Rights and Safety has fought Kenyon Wind's nine-turbine farm from the beginning and, despite state approval of the project, still continues to battle construction of the wind farm.

Grand Rapids Township Road Commissioner Steve Lehr talked about wind towers and trucks at the township's meeting Tuesday. He told board members Invenergy, the company building a wind farm in La Salle County, has changed its plans. "I'm told that there will be 34 wind towers in their second phase and that they will all be in Grand Rapids Township," Lehr reported. ...At last month's meeting, Invenergy reported nine turbines were completely constructed in the township and 31 partial turbines were in progress. The company reported all towers should be built by Thursday, May 15, and phase one could be finished in mid-July.

Emergency calls flooded the Jackson County Law Enforcement Center last Wednesday morning as passers-by on Interstate 90 in western Jackson County witnessed huge plumes of smoke ascending to the clouds. The fire originated from one of the six power-generating windmills on the Ewington Township Wind Farm, located south of Okabena just north of I-90. ...After the fire was controlled, the scene was turned over to Suzlon officials, who are conducting an investigation. "We are still investigating a cause," said Suzlon Vice President Ken Glazier. "The fire was controlled quickly and brought to a safe stop. There were no injuries and the damage was limited to the one cell."

High Country Energy LLC, a community-based wind energy development located in Olmsted and Dodge counties, announced on Friday that it has sold a 150 megawatt portion of its wind farm to Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, based in Green Bay, Wis. The High County Energy project, which is managed by National Wind LLC and will be located in both Dodge and Olmsted counties, allows landowners to invest in the project. Since National Wind is a minority owner, most of the proceeds from the sale will go to High Country Energy landowners, National Wind co-chairman Patrick Pelstring said.

If Michigan is to join 25 states requiring that more electricity come from renewable sources, the Legislature must sort out all kinds of issues -including the price tag. Compared with existing power from old, already-paid-for coal plants, renewable energy is more expensive. The House is considering capping residents' extra costs at no more than $3 a month, or $36 a year over 20 years, which could let power companies off the hook for meeting the renewable energy requirement, known as an RPS. Under legislation pending in the House, commercial customers would pay no more than $190 a year more, while the cap for industrial customers would be $2,250.

Kruger joined about 100 residents Thursday at a public forum to learn more about wind power. Dodge County's Economic Development Authority sponsored the event. The wind farms can be a boon for farmers, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in lease payments. But experts urge residents to speak with an attorney before signing leases. ...there are other issues to consider too, said Annette Bair, a Clean Energy Resource Team coordinator in southwest Minnesota. Those issues include noise, appearance, shadow flicker (from sunlight hitting the blades) and construction work needed to install the turbines.

The problem with electricity generated from wind turbines is, the power can fluctuate. Xcel Energy says it's got a way to even out the flow - an 80-ton battery the size of two semi-trailers. The Minneapolis-based utility said Thursday that it will begin testing a sodium-sulfur battery being used in Japan to even out the flow of electricity between windy days and nonwindy days. Xcel plans to put 20 50-kilowatt batteries in Luverne, Minn., about 30 miles east of Sioux Falls, S.D., this spring and connect them to an 11-megawatt wind farm owned by Minwind Energy. The batteries are expected to go online in October.

National Wind will typically own 30 percent of the project; the rest belongs to local farmers and landowners. "If the local community is invested in it, then we know that this project has a higher likelihood of happening," National Wind Chief Executive Leon Steinberg said. "Investors like that because they know there will be less resistance. Utilities like it because they are likely to be built and built on time." ...The company charges the community a one-time development fee, a percentage of the total cost of the project. In addition, National Wind earns a portion of the money generated by the project once it starts selling electricity to utilities.

It's hard to believe, but enXco Development Corporation appears to be looking out for the interests of citizens who are critical of the proposed wind energy project in Mower County. For a second time, the Mower County Board of Commissioners has delayed action on all of the requests from enXco, concerning their wind energy project in Pleasant Valley and Grand Meadow townships. ...EnXco has waived the 60-day rule which by Minnesota statute requires a decision by the county within 60 days of the original CUP application.

Because it is uncharted territory, Community Development Director Gordon Hydukovich is requesting a temporary moratorium on wind turbines. The city attorney will be asked during Tuesday's Fergus Falls City Council meeting to draft such an ordinance. It is necessary, Hydukovich said, until city code can be written clearly stating where they can be placed. The moratorium was prompted by an individual requesting to place a turbine in a residential area. Another request was submitted by an industrial user in the city.

Although the state will permit projects of 25 megawatts or larger, a new law will also require the state to consider county ordinances when it reviews those projects. "The state must show (just reasons) why they wouldn't (use) the county ordinance on a 25-megawatt or larger project," Biren said. The Lyon County ordinance on wind projects is stricter than state regulations in several ways, Biren and county commissioner Bob Fenske said.

Officials in Tower received a reality check on Monday that is likely to forestall any wind power development in the city for the foreseeable future, but could prompt the city to join forces with Mt. Iron on a joint project somewhere on the Iron Range. The change in direction came during a nearly two-hour meeting with consultant Gary Cerkvenik ...Cerkvenik had wind data which suggested those sites would likely be disappointing. The same data showed the immediate shore of Lake Vermilion has significant wind potential, but Cerkvenik said public opposition would likely prove a major hurdle to a wind project there. Cerkvenik also discouraged consideration of installing just one or two turbines.

Uncertainties about the funding and risk involved in a wind energy development led the Rochester School Board on Tuesday to authorize a withdrawal from the project. In November the board entered into an agreement with developer Johnson Controls Inc. and 23 other Minnesota school districts to pursue the planning of a 10- to 20-megawatt wind farm in a yet-to-be-determined location. ..."There are so many unknowns, and I'm very uncomfortable with it right now. In principle, I love it. But I don't feel we're at a point where we can put our budget at risk," Fischer said.

Plans are under way for a new wind farm in western Dodge County that could power up to 100,000 homes. Nature Energies, a European-based company, hopes to build a 450 megawatt wind farm with up to 300 wind turbines, said Jeff Cook-Coyle, the company's development vice president. Cook-Coyle, a Rochester resident, said western Dodge County is an ideal spot for the project -- thanks in part to good wind and a nearby transmission line. ...The area's strong wind is helping attract wind farm developers. He said he first met with Nature Energies representatives a year ago. The company has not submitted any applications to the county at this time. But Nature Energies has sponsored public meetings for landowners to learn more about the project and consider leasing space for wind turbines.

Seven 196-foot meteorological towers will be erected early this spring in southern Nobles County to measure the wind. The temporary towers will be constructed by Tower Associates LLC, a Juno Beach, Fla., company, to determine if the sites are suitable for future wind development. Steve Stengel, spokesman for FPL Energy, which is conducting the project, said the meteorological towers will collect wind speed data for 18 months to two years before a decision is made regarding possible construction of wind turbines on the sites. "What you're seeing in (Nobles) County is the early stages of investigation," Stengel said. "It certainly is not a signal that a wind project is imminent.

As expected, the Mower County Board of Commissioners agreed Tuesday to table action on three requests for an EnXco wind energy project. The firm received the recommendation of approval for their requests a week ago from the Mower County Planning Commission. However, many concerns were raised by residents of Pleasant Valley and Grand Meadow townships, who live near the high voltage transmission line route or the substation EnXco plans to construct. The commission recommended the commissioners table action until the petitioner and the citizens can meet to discuss the issues.