The Winds of Change. . .

Interest in wind energy development is picking up in North Dakota, and several board members report having had conversations with area residents who have an interest in wind development, typically as it relates to their own opportunity to have turbines located on their land. As members of MCWEC, we want to keep you informed about the activities the board is involved in, what our state is doing and what you can do to promote our company as the bargaining agent between landowners and energy developers when the time comes.

MCWEC, LLC has joined W.I.N.D. (Wind Interests of North Dakota), an organization of several North Dakota groups such as ours who are studying wind energy development and the potential it has for economic development. The organization is still in its infancy, however we believe it will be a real benefit to communities looking at wind development, and that it will be a strong voice for us all as the idea of wind energy gains momentum in the future.

MCWEC has hired Jay Haley of EAPC Architects Engineers in Grand Forks as our consultant. Mr. Haley is the state’s foremost authority on the wind energy industry, and has become well-known for his knowledge on the subject. He helped shape and get passed three key pieces of legislation in the last North Dakota Legislative session that provides incentives to attract wind developers. He serves as consultant to several local wind groups across the state, and has built good relationships with nearly every major wind energy development company in the world.

Mr. Haley has told us he considers our identified development site as being in the top five in North Dakota. While we understand that doesn’t guarantee us anything, when we consider the favorable elements wind developers look for (high elevation, large land mass, strong wind resources, easy access), we are excited at the potential we have for future development.

We have been monitoring our wind resource in southwest McIntosh County since mid-June. Data is collected from a series of anemometers, wind vanes and thermometers on a tower owned by Jamestown Communications. Once a week, the equipment places a cellular phone call to a computer in Haley’s office and transfers the data. The monthly reports we receive give us a variety of data, however the most important piece of information is our average daily wind speed. According to industry standards, an average daily wind speed of 18 mph is considered excellent. And, when we consider that the turbine hubs are about 260 feet above ground where wind speeds would be even greater, you can see that we have some fantastic potential! (NOTE: You can see our average daily wind speeds on the County/State Wind Data page of this site.)

It is evident that the development of wind farms isn’t the major hurdle for North Dakota. Developers seem to be well-funded. Getting the electricity that is generated to market is the current stumbling block. Our state couldn’t use all the electricity it can potentially produce, so we have to figure out a way to get it to where it is needed. Experts are studying that very carefully now, and meetings between energy industry players take place regularly to address the issue of transmission. It’s a very complicated and expensive problem to solve, and it won’t happen overnight.

However, wind energy development, as well as other alternative energy sources such as photovoltaics (sun) and biomass, are gaining respectability, and experts in those fields are getting more and more involved in helping to address the problem and find solutions. It’s been said over and over that, 1.) North Dakota has the best wind energy potential of any state in the nation, and 2.) that it’s not a matter of "if" wind development will take place in our state, but "when."

Things are starting to happen in North Dakota. The first commercial wind turbine has been erected and commissioned near Oriska, and others are planned. Developers are meeting with a handful of local wind groups to hammer out contracts for future development, and landowners - even in McIntosh County - have been approached by companies seeking to get land leases signed.

The MCWEC, LLC has been monitoring our wind resource for several months now, and we are starting to see the benefit of collecting this data. In the meantime, the board continues to meet monthly to discuss any developments in the industry, what things we should be doing to prepare ourselves to represent our landowners most effectively, and to educate ourselves about this very exciting opportunity to bring new income to our landowners, new jobs to our towns and new hope for our rural way of life.

If you have any questions about what the board is doing, feel free to contact any director.