Wind Energy Weekly/Transmission

["Tom Gray" <tomgray@igc.org>]

The following article is taken from Wind Energy Weekly #944, 4 May 2001.  To
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UPPER MIDWEST TRANSMISSION
PROJECT LAUNCHED
___________________________________________

	"Wind on the Wires," the centerpiece of a $4.5 million, two-year project to
develop renewable energy resources, was unveiled May 1 at the National Wind
Coordinating Committee (NWCC) Upper Midwest Transmission Workshop at the
Embassy Suites Hotel in Minneapolis, Minn.

	The McKnight Foundation and the San Francisco-based Energy Foundation are
the primary sponsors of the project, which is a partnership of the business
community, local leaders, clean energy advocates, and wind energy experts.
AWEA Great Plains manager John Dunlop serves on the organization's steering
committee.

	The primary focus of Wind on the Wires is to facilitate the marketing of
wind power by overcoming the two main hurdles that currently limit
large-scale development: bottlenecks in the power grid and antiquated
transmission rules.  Wind on the Wires partners will work with transmission
planners and the grid operators to solve technical issues and to overcome
regulatory hurdles. In addition, the project will work with economic
development officials to enlist their support for transmission improvements
and wind development, and educate state, local, and federal officials on the
benefits of wind power for the region.

	"We are poised to expand markets for wind power and build a thriving
industry in Minnesota and the Dakotas," said Paul White, Midwest Project
Manager for enXco, Inc., a wind project developer. "To move wind power to
large markets such as the Twin Cities, Chicago, Des Moines and St. Louis,
our top priority must be to remove the physical bottlenecks of the current
power grid and upgrade the system. These upgrades will also improve the
reliability of the system for consumers," White emphasized.

	White also explained that the current rules of the road for transmission
systems have worked well for conventional technology, but as technology has
advanced, the rules also need to be updated. "Wind on the Wires will help by
working to update government rules so that wind power has fair access to the
market," White concluded.

	"We are proud to support Wind on the Wires," said Rip Rapson, McKnight
Foundation President. "Wind power is a reliable, affordable and
pollution-free source of energy. It promises to be a high-growth business
that offers opportunities to further diversify our rural economy.  Wind on
the Wires is dedicated to realizing these opportunities, so Minnesota can be
a world leader in developing this resource," Rapson added.

	"Wind power is the fastest growing source of electricity in the world, and
the Upper Midwest has been a focus for new development in recent years,"
said Eric Heitz, Executive Vice-President of the Energy Foundation. "This
region is rich in wind resources with five of the 10 windiest states in the
country in the Upper Midwest. Tapping this potential could mean billions of
dollars of investment in the region," Heitz added.

	Additional information on the Wind on the Wires project is available at
http://www.windonthewires.org .