How communities can take control of their energy futures | Commentary | Minnesota Public Radio NewsQ

from MPR NewsQ
by John Farrell
March 5, 2010

Energy self-reliant states have stronger economies. And new data on wind power potential reveals that five Midwestern states could match their current electricity use with domestic wind power.
But along with the good news, these states -- Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan -- should take note of the stakes.

"I live out on the Buffalo Ridge [in southwest Minnesota]...I look out my window and I see hundreds of wind turbines. When I look at those turbines I'm happy and I'm sad... Most of those turbines are owned by our friends, the foreign multinationals. Out of two counties in Minnesota we export about $80 million a year to France, Florida, Italy, Portugal, Spain. All of our energy future is going out the door when we could be turning that into something real for us." -- Minnesota community wind developer Dan Juhl.

How can these five states get "something real"? There are 32 states that have enough in-state renewable energy to be energy self-reliant. And successful models in these states illustrate how local ownership, energy efficiency and innovative local government financing can maximize the economic returns of this resource.

A single wind turbine creates $1 million in economic activity, according to the American Wind Energy Association. And that's just a generic, utility-scale turbine.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has shown that a locally owned wind turbine creates twice the jobs, and three to four times the economic impact...
Read full story:How communities can take control of their energy futures | Commentary | Minnesota Public Radio NewsQ