Utility Initiatives

Waverly Light and Power has operated its own wind turbine for two years. Residents of the city have been highly supportive of the utility's efforts to use renewable resources, such as its wind turbine. The utility explored the possibility of expanding its use of wind energy but the city is not located in a very windy part of Iowa and the projects appeared marginal. The utility manager, Glen Cannon, began to explore other options. With the help of the utility's consultant, Tom Wind, they determined that it would be more viable to install a wind turbine in the north-central part of the state and wheel the power back to Waverly than to install the turbine in their small service territory. Furthermore, they concluded that energy from a small cluster of machines would be even more viable. Waverly invited other municipal utilities to participate in a joint venture to evaluate the cluster wind project model more thoroughly. Due to the interest of multiple members, the Iowa Municipal Utilities Association agreed to fund the study. With the enabling legislation passed in 1996 (see above), many expect a joint municipal utility wind cluster project to be proposed in the near future.

Numerous utilities from across the region are expressing interest in the new cluster wind energy initiative being coordinated by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for the U.S. Department of Energy. Small utilities are encouraged to collaborate with private sector partners to propose modest (up to 5 MW) cluster wind power plants. Proposals were due in October 1996. The winning bid is to be selected before the end of the year, and the project is to be installed before the end of 1997.

Under a directive of the Minnesota Department of Public Service, Otter Tail Power in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, evaluated a 10 MW wind power plant in their service territory. Though they did not select the project for installation, they have conducted a wind resource assessment of the region and modeled a cluster wind project in their utility system. Since they made their decision regarding the power plant, they have made their wind data publicly available. Northern States Power also facilitates small, cluster wind energy projects by exempting projects less than 12 MW from the competitive bidding requirement that they have set for larger projects.

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