Commissioner Wilson congratulates Great River Energy for Minnesota’s first C-BED commitment
St. Paul, Minn. (October 28, 2005) - The following is a statement from Commerce Commissioner Glenn Wilson regarding the announcement by Great River Energy that it will install 120 megawatts of wind energy on its system:
“Minnesota’s energy security and economic health demand that we develop more of our state’s renewable resources as homegrown energy. That’s why the Pawlenty Administration is committed to community-based energy development (C-BED) in the state.
“When C-BED is competitively priced and locally owned, it captures the best mix of benefits for Minnesota consumers, our rural economies, and the environment.
“We applaud Great River Energy (GRE) for being the first Minnesota utility to issue a request for proposals specifically for Minnesota community-based wind energy projects. We expect GRE and all electric utilities serving Minnesota to act aggressively to include C-BED projects in their electricity supply mix and anticipate that GRE’s announcement today is the start of many more such announcements.”
C-BED backgroundLegislation proposed by the Pawlenty Administration and passed nearly unanimously by the 2005 legislature expands on the state’s renewable electricity success and ensures renewable energy is an integral part of Minnesota's energy future. Community-based energy was an important focus of that legislation.
The 2005 legislation encourages the development of community-based energy projects – or CBED – through a unique utility payment structure that helps community wind developers pay for initial construction costs. To qualify, a C-BED project must be locally owned by Minnesota residents and must have a resolution of support from the county board in which the project is located.
With the passage of the governor’s ethanol initiative, Minnesota is the only state in the nation to have policies in place that will ensure that 20% of its gasoline and 20% of electricity will come from renewable sources by 2015.
