Electric co-ops boost renewable energy supply in 2006
Dec. 27, 2006
As 2006 comes to an end, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives celebrate a record year for developing new generating resources in the Dakotas. New units at eight locations added 167 megawatts of needed baseload, peaking and intermittent resources this year, from renewable and traditional fuels.
"The output from these new units, owned by or purchased by cooperative power suppliers, are helping local cooperatives like Southeastern Electric and Sioux Valley Energy meet the increasing demand for reliable, costs-competitive electricity by its member-consumers," said Jeff Nelson. Nelson is general manager for East River Electric Power Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, which provides wholesale power to 21 electric distribution systems in eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota." These 2006-developed resources constitute the largest addition to our regional fleet in 20 years."
The 167-megawatt rise is the largest gain since Antelope Valley Station's Unit 2 began commercial operation. North Dakota-based Basin Electric Power Cooperative, a regional power supplier that provides wholesale power to rural electric cooperatives in nine states, completed the 450-megawatt coal-based plant in 1986.
Third wind farm serves co-ops
The newest and largest wind farm in the Dakotas, with 33 wind turbines, began generating renewable energy for cooperative members in early 2006. The 49.5-MW Wilton Wind Energy Center in North Dakota is the third facility constructed by FPL Energy for Basin Electric members in the northern plains. Basin is purchasing the output from wind farms at Wilton and Edgeley in North Dakota and near Highmore, S.D. Basin resources now include more than 135 megawatts of wind energy, enough to serve 40,000 average homes during a year -- that's enough electricity to serve all the residences in the cities of Aberdeen, Brookings, Huron, Mitchell and Pierre, S.D.
Capturing waste heat
A new environmentally-friendly technology -- generators that produce electricity without burning any fuel – was unveiled this fall in the Dakotas. Four Heat Recovery Generators were installed this year at pumping stations along the Northern Border Pipeline. Each unit captures pipeline compressor exhaust heat and generates approximately 5.5 megawatts of continuous electricity, enough to serve 4,000 average homes. The units are located near Wetonka, Clark and Estelline in South Dakota and St. Anthony, N.D. Five more units are planned for 2007, with one to be located in East River service territory near Tyler, Minn.
Manure into power
Cooperatives also helped a Milbank dairy connect its anaerobic-digester-fueled generator to the grid in late August. The Midwest Dairy Institute installed an anaerobic digester at its 2,400-cow facility -- the first animal waste-fueled generator at an animal confinement operation in South Dakota. Biogas fuels the dairy’s 375-kilowatt generator, capable of supplying enough electricity for more than 250 average homes.
Small wind projects
Cooperatives are also supporting the development of small wind projects. Central Electric Cooperative connected the Oak Lane Hutterite Colony's two small wind turbines -- with a rated output of 160 kilowatts -- to its power lines near Alexandria early this year. Basin Electric is now purchasing the output from 19 small consumer-owned generators in the region, which produce renewable energy for cooperative members.
Groton Peaking Plant
Basin Electric also completed this summer a $69 million peaking plant five miles south of Groton to enhance electric grid reliability in the region. The new 95-megawatt natural gas-fired Groton Generation Station is operated during periods of high energy usage and when baseload plants are not available. The generator is able to serve more than 70,000 average homes -- equivalent to all the residences in the Sioux Falls area. A second unit is planned for the site to keep up with regional load growth.
Delivering the power
To deliver the power from these new generating resources, new infrastructure is required. East River Electric constructed three substations and transmission lines during 2006 to deliver the output from several new South Dakota units to the grid. East River staff is also working with developers of several other proposed renewable projects, involving biogases from dairies, landfills and other waste materials in eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota.
Renewable energy goal
With the new wind farm, heat-recovery units and dairy digester coming on line this year, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives are well on their way toward the membership's voluntary goal passed at last year's Basin Annual Meeting. Basin member cooperatives agreed to set a renewable energy goal of meeting 10 percent of the members’ demand for electricity from renewable resources by 2010. Basin Electric's power supply currently boasts approximately 8 percent of its generation resources provided by renewable projects.
"When we add the renewable resources from Basin Electric and East River's long-standing contract for federal hydropower, nearly 40 percent of our power supply for cooperative members in eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota comes from naturally-renewing resources," Nelson said.
