2002-04  ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION LINES FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY

Energy demand in the Upper Midwest and other parts of the country continues to grow and cannot  be met totally by conservation and energy efficiency.However, substantial portion of the growing energy need can be met through the development of significant amounts (thousands of megawatts) of clean, affordable, and renewable wind power.

Increased development and use of renewable energy will improve the environment, diversify our electricity portfolio, add to our energy security and sustainability, encourage a new high growth business, and offer an opportunity to diversify rural economies.According to the American Wind Energy Association, Minnesota has 75,000 megawatts of wind energy potential, North and South Dakota combined contain 255,600 megawatts of wind energy potential.

Unless the wind energy serves only local loads, both small-scale, locally owned wind projects and large-scale wind farms will require high voltage transmission lines to transmit wind energy to market.At this time, the existing transmission system in the Upper Midwest and in other wind-rich areas of the country has little excess capacity, and the development of additional energy sources, including wind generation, will require upgrades or construction of new transmission lines. Coordinated long-range planning is needed to get economical, clean, large-scale wind generation to market.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Minnesota Division of the Izaak Walton League of America  in convention April 28, 2002, in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, urges the implementation of transmission policies and business practices at the local, state, regional and federal levels that:

• support the responsible development of new transmission capacity needed to bring thousands of megawatts of wind power from the rural Upper Midwest to markets
• maximize the use of existing transmission lines and corridors prior to developing new transmission corridors,courage the active participation of affected landowners and communities throughout the transmission planning, siting, and routing processes
• provide appropriate compensation for all property owners affected by transmission projects
• ensure that wind generation energy facilities have adequate access to needed transmission lines
• encourage the development of both small and large-scale wind projects
• do not discriminate against variable resources such as wind power

Jaques Chapter
MN Division of the IWLA