WINDUSTRY

WINDUSTRY 2018 ACCOMPLISHMENTS WINDUSTRY HAS A ROBUST SET OF RESOURCES ON ITS POPULAR WEBSITE WHICH INCLUDE OUR COMMUNITY WIND TOOLBOX, OUR WIND PROJECT CALCULATOR, UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND RESOURCES ON COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP OF WIND ENERGY AND EXTENSIVE CASE STUDIES ON COMMUNITY WIND PROJECTS. THE WINDUSTRY.ORG WEBSITE DELIVERS INFORMATION TO OVER 250,000 UNIQUE VISITORS ANNUALLY WITH AN AVERAGE OF 1,000 WEB VISITS DAILY. HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR WORK IN 2018 WINDUSTRY WORKS WITH FARMERS AND RURAL LANDOWNERS TO HELP SORT OUT ISSUES AS THEY COME UP IN THE PERMITTING AND SITING PROCESSES. ONE SUCH CASE IS WITH BOB POLLACK, A LANDOWNER IN SW MN. HE IS IN SUPPORT OF THE BITTERROOT PROJECT AND WANTS TO HOST A WIND TURBINE BUT HAS HAD MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LEASE AGREEMENT OFFERED BY THE LARGE ENERGY COMPANY THAT IS PLANNING TO BUILD THE PROJECT. WINDUSTRY WORKED WITH BOB POLLACK AS THE PROJECT WENT THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS AT THE MN PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION. WINDUSTRY WORKED WITH THE NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LAB ON THE FINAL REPORTING AND CLOSE OUT OF THE 3-YEAR PLUS CONTRACT FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY FOR A REGIONAL WIND RESOURCE CENTER FOR THE MIDWEST REGION. THE MIDWEST WIND ENERGY CENTER (MWEC) SERVES THE FOLLOWING STATES: ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, EASTERN MONTANA, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND WISCONSIN. WINDUSTRY IS MWEC'S LEAD ORGANIZER WITH KEY PARTNERS IN IOWA AND MINNESOTA. MWEC HAS MAINTAINED ADVISORY ORGANIZATIONS IN ALL 11 STATES. THE MWEC PARTNERS IDENTIFIED STRATEGIES AND PRIORITY ACTIVITIES THAT INCLUDE WIND ENERGY POLICY RESEARCH AND CREATING MORE OPPORTUNITIES OF ENGAGEMENT AND CONSIDERATION FOR KEY STAKEHOLDERS AND DECISION MAKERS IN THE MIDWEST REGION. A FEW HIGHLIGHTED-ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE: INITIATIVES TO MAKE PERMITTING AND SITING EASIER FOR DISTRIBUTED WIND; RESEARCHED AND PRESENTED ON JOBS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR SEVERAL OF THE STATES IN THE MWEC REGION; AND PARTICIPATED IN REGULATORY PROCEEDINGS IN IOWA AND MINNESOTA. ALSO, WINDUSTRY WORKED WITH THE NORTHERN CHEYENNE TRIBAL COMMUNITY IN EASTERN MONTANA TO GET TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND INFORMATION ON THE ENERGY MEASUREMENT AND TO GET A MET TOWER IN PLACE. WINDUSTRY DONATED A TALL TOWER ANEMOMETER WITH ALL THE GUY WIRES AND SENSORS TO THE NORTHERN CHEYENNE TRIBAL COMMUNITY. IT WAS TRANSPORTED AND INSTALLED ON THEIR RESERVATION AND IS COLLECTING DATA FOR THE TRIBE TO UNDERSTAND AND MARKET THEIR WIND RESOURCE. THE WIND RESOURCE DATA WILL BE OWNED BY THE NORTHERN CHEYENNE TRIBAL COMMUNITY TO PLAN AND DEVELOP A WIND PROJECT ON THEIR RESERVATION. COMMUNITY INITIATIVES WINDUSTRY ORGANIZED AND PRESENTED THE 8TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY WIND AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AWARDS AT DWEA CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON DC IN FEBRUARY. THE AWARDS AND AWARDEES FOR 2018 ARE AS FOLLOWS: THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD 2018 (FOR LONG-STANDING WORK OVER MANY YEARS) WENT TO ALICE ORRELL OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL LAB. THE COMMUNITY WIND & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY INNOVATOR 2018 (FOR WORK OVER THE PAST 2-3 YEARS) WAS AWARDED TO LLOYD RITTER, OF GREEN CAPITOL, LLC. THE GROUNDBREAKING COMMUNITY WIND & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY PROJECT 2018 (INAUGURAL PRESENTATION OF THIS AWARD IS IN 2018) WENT TO COASTAL WIND ENERGY PROJECT, IN GRAYLAND, WASHINGTON LEAD BY CRAIG DUBLANKO, CEO OF COASTAL COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM. WINDUSTRY LAUNCHED A NEW WEBSITE, THESOLARALLIANCE.ORG FOR A SOLAR PROJECT CALLED SOLAR ALONG THE GREENLINE. WINDUSTRY ORGANIZED MEETINGS WITH THE INNOVATIVE POWER SYSTEMS, METRO TRANSIT REPRESENTATIVES AND WITH XCEL ENERGY. THIS IS A MULTI-YEAR EFFORT. WINDUSTRY IS AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT ON A WORKGROUP TO REMOVE THE BARRIERS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY ON CLOSED LANDFILLS IN MINNESOTA. THIS IS AN ONGOING EFFORT WITH THE WORKGROUP COMPRISED OF STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES AND OTHER NON-PROFITS. CAMERAN BAILEY, METRO COUNCIL IS THE LEADER AND CONVENER OF THE WORKGROUP. WINDUSTRY WORKED WITH NATIONAL SIERRA CLUB STAFF THAT ARE PUBLISHING "GUIDE TO 100% CLEAN ENERGY SCHOOL DISTRICTS." WINDUSTRY PROVIDED A NUMBER OF CONNECTIONS AND INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES FOR CASE STORIES ON WIND ENERGY AT SCHOOLS THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE GUIDE. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2018 INCLUDED WINDUSTRY'S ANNUAL WIND ENERGY CENTER IN THE ECO EXPERIENCE AT THE 2018 MINNESOTA STATE FAIR. THE WIND ENERGY CENTER IS AN INTERACTIVE, MUSEUM-QUALITY DISPLAY WITHIN THE ECO EXPERIENCE AT THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MINNESOTA POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY. DEVELOPED AND PRODUCED BY WINDUSTRY AND PARTNERS, IT TEACHES HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VISITORS EACH YEAR ABOUT OUR GREAT WIND RESOURCE AND HOW WIND ENERGY CAN PROVIDE BOTH ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO MINNESOTANS. 2018 IS THE 13TH YEAR OF THE WIND ENERGY CENTER, INSPIRING VISITORS TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT AND PARTICIPATE IN SMALL, MIDSIZE, AND LARGE WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN MINNESOTA. WINDUSTRY PRODUCED SEVERAL NEW DISPLAYS AND ACTIVITIES IN 2018 WHICH INCLUDED A NEW INTERACTIVE DISPLAY DESIGNED TO TEACH VISITORS ABOUT PERMITTING AND SITING FOR WIND PROJECTS. WE USED AN ACTUAL WIND PROJECT, FREEBORN WIND, AS AN EXAMPLE TO SHOW THE EXTENT OF DATA AND INFORMATION REQUIRED TO PERMIT A WIND PROJECT IN MINNESOTA. HERE ARE A FEW NUMBERS REGARDING THE EVENT: ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE: 252,329 TO THE ECO EXPERIENCE BUILDING NUMBER OF BUILDING VISITORS PLAYING CLIMATE CONNECTIONS BINGO AND VISITING THE WIND ENERGY CENTER: 5,806 NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO SIGNED SUPPORTIVE POSTCARDS FOR COMMUNITY WIND IN MN: 750