Utility fund supports 25 renewables projects
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, US, 2004-09-08 (Refocus Weekly)
The fourth-largest utility in the United States will provide US$22 million for 25 renewable energy projects.
Xcel Energy says its Renewable Development Fund received 200 proposals, three
times the number submitted in the program's first funding cycle in 2001. An
advisory board with representatives from the utility and environmental groups
has recommended to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission that $9,935,901 be
awarded to projects for energy production and $12,804,466 for research.
"We're delighted with the high level of interest shown in renewable energy
through this program," says Bill Grant of the Izaak Walton League and a
member of the advisory board. “These projects reflect an increasing awareness
that renewable energy is a reality, not just a possibility.”
The Fund receives $16 million a year from Xcel Energy customers under a system
benefit charge.
“The energy production projects will benefit Minnesota consumers by providing
economic sources of renewable energy,” says Dave Sparby of Xcel Energy.
“Likewise, the research and development projects will allow us to continue to
provide environmentally sound and reasonably priced energy in the future.”
St. Olaf College in Northfield will receive $1.5 million to install a wind
turbine on campus to meet internal power demand, while Wayzata Public Schools in
Wayzata will receive $1.1 million to construct a turbine that will be the
largest in the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. Other projects
include $2 million to SAF Hydroelectric of Minneapolis to use new turbine
technology to restore the power generating potential of the Lower St. Anthony
Falls Hydroelectric plant and four biomass projects.
Research funding includes $1 million to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
and the University of Minnesota to develop a solar cell that would be
significantly cheaper to produce than current wafer-based silicon solar cells;
another $1 million to the same groups to research development of organic
semiconductor-based plastic solar cells that would reduce the high cost of
photovoltaic module manufacturing; and $1 million to InterPhases Research of
California to discover a feasible process to develop a flexible photovoltaic
cell for cost-effective electricity generation.
Another $1 million will go to Clipper Windpower of Jackson County to advance the
application of a new wind turbine to perform in lower wind conditions than
possible with current technology; $997,000 to WindLogics to build and
demonstrate a utility-scale wind energy forecasting system; $370,000 to Global
Energy Concepts of St. Paul to analyze and develop advanced methods for reducing
uncertainty in wind power project estimates; and $760,000 to the Agricultural
Utilization Research Institute to conduct an economic study of environmentally
friendly co-generation utilizing renewable energy.
Another eleven projects were focussed on biomass.
Xcel Energy sells electricity to 3.3 million customers and natural gas to 1.8
million customers. It has regulated operations in eleven states and revenue of
$7.9 billion.
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