EARTHKEEPING NEWS A NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN COALITION FOR CHRISTIANITY AND ECOLOGY Volume Thirteen, Number Two Spring 2004 WIND POWER IN MINNESOTA REACHES CRITICAL MASS By Rip Rapson, President, The McKnight Foundation As state leaders met in Mankato to discuss the state of agriculture and rural communities, the Upper Midwest reached an important milestone. We installed our 1000th megawatt of wind power. The two events are more connected than it might appear. Yes, first we should celebrate the fact that 1,000 megawatts is enough power to meet the residential energy needs of the entire Twin Cities, without the pollution and dangers of coal or nuclear power. But let's not overlook some other impressive facts about Minnesota wind power. For example, it will produce about 3100 jobs, $4 million annually in royalty payments to farmers and $3.6 million in tax payments to local governments to help fund roads, schools, and health care in rural areas. Implications ripple through the Midwestern economy. As the industry matures, farmers see the benefit in capturing more of the “value-added” from this new wind crop. The Harvest Land Cooperative in Morgan, Minnesota for example, is developing a business plan to invest in wind power. Bigger financial institutions, like Wells Fargo and Citibank, can compete with international lenders for these multimillion dollar projects. Smaller, locally owned projects can be served by community banks and local investment funds. By investing locally, they can stimulate lasting prosperity in their communities. Wind power in the Midwest can be a vital piece of our state's rural development agenda. We have the right blend of good winds, resourceful rural communities, and a skilled manufacturing base to seize this fleeting opportunity. I trust we also have thoughtful political leadership to show us the way to begin. Now is the moment. Home     Table of Contents