Opponents of the proposed Big Stone II power plant likely cheered a Minnesota administrative ruling that jeopardizes the construction of transmission lines across the state. But that element of the power plant's construction also benefits something opponents probably support: wind power. The same lines that Big Stone II would use to transmit power also would carry South Dakota wind power. ...The search for feasible replacements for fossil fuels will not always be painless. Wind power requires more than turbines, which are eyesores in their own right, to harness energy. That energy must then be moved and stored, and that potentially means heavy-duty lines crisscrossing the country.
Opponents of the proposed Big Stone II power plant likely cheered a Minnesota administrative ruling that jeopardizes the construction of transmission lines across the state. But that element of the power plant's construction also benefits something opponents probably support: wind power. The same lines that Big Stone II would use to transmit power also would carry South Dakota wind power. ...The search for feasible replacements for fossil fuels will not always be painless. Wind power requires more than turbines, which are eyesores in their own right, to harness energy. That energy must then be moved and stored, and that potentially means heavy-duty lines crisscrossing the country.
Opponents of the proposed Big Stone II power plant likely cheered a Minnesota administrative ruling that jeopardizes the construction of transmission lines across the state.
But that element of the power plant's construction also benefits something opponents probably support: wind power.
The same lines that Big Stone II would use to transmit power also would carry South Dakota wind power. Gov. Mike Rounds criticized the ruling on those grounds.
The search for feasible replacements for fossil fuels will not always be painless. Wind power requires more than turbines, which are eyesores in their own right, to harness energy. That energy must then be moved and stored, and that potentially means heavy-duty lines crisscrossing the …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]Opponents of the proposed Big Stone II power plant likely cheered a Minnesota administrative ruling that jeopardizes the construction of transmission lines across the state.
But that element of the power plant's construction also benefits something opponents probably support: wind power.
The same lines that Big Stone II would use to transmit power also would carry South Dakota wind power. Gov. Mike Rounds criticized the ruling on those grounds.
The search for feasible replacements for fossil fuels will not always be painless. Wind power requires more than turbines, which are eyesores in their own right, to harness energy. That energy must then be moved and stored, and that potentially means heavy-duty lines crisscrossing the country.
Running electrical lines across the countryside has obvious drawbacks, particularly for the people who live nearby. But those concerns should be mitigated by the need to accommodate the development of new energy sources.
Whatever you think about the proposed Hyperion project in Union County, it is not hard to see why it is controversial. It's a messy business, and oil is in many ways our past and present - not our future.
But in the case of Big Stone II, Rounds is right: It seems shortsighted to stop the construction of transmission lines that will be needed not only for a new coal-fired power plant but for the growth of the wind power industry. Transmission is the biggest barrier keeping wind power from supplying more of our energy.
Even if we weren't talking about building a power plant, those lines eventually would be necessary.
Oil pipelines someday might run dry, but the transmission lines we build today will be part of our energy picture - past, present and future.