Rural Energy Development Initiative (REDI)
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| SWIF will utilize its infrastructure, collective experience and relationships to benefit the renewable energy industry throughout Minnesota by administering REDI. |
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The Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) has been selected to manage and implement a statewide program designed to provide organizing and technical assistance to rural entities seeking to develop wind energy electric generation projects. This program was established by the Minnesota State Legislature in 2007 and is sponsored by the State of Minnesota and the Center for Rural Policy and Development.
The goal of REDI is to maximize rural economic development and stabilize rural economies by building renewable energy capacity, expertise, and leadership throughout the state of Minnesota. This goal will be accomplished by providing organizing and technical assistance to rural entities seeking to develop wind energy projects for the purpose of selling the energy to an electric utility and by raising awareness of the local economic, community and environmental benefits of renewable energy development, energy conservation and efficiency.
SWIF is collaborating with public, private and nonprofit stakeholders to develop, implement and support REDI. These partnerships will allow for potential expansion of the original intent of this program to not only meet the legislative requirements as it related to wind energy, but also serve as a foundation upon which to expand the objectives and advance the renewable energy asset sector for all of rural Minnesota.
SWIF and collaborating partners such as the North American Water Office, C-BED Initiative, and others have designed REDI to provide detailed specifics for decision-making and the necessary steps to take a wind energy project from conception to the point where they can continue project development on their own using commercial and/or governmental financing mechanisms. We are committed to helping at least 12 wind energy projects distributed across Minnesota through the necessary steps of organizing and technical assistance needed to complete initial feasibility studies and all tasks requisite to entering the Midwest Independent System Operator queue.
The proposed model for providing hands-on technical assistance will also help Minnesota build leadership and knowledge throughout the state by building a team or organizers and technical assistance managers who are quipped to help project development into the future.
To learn more about REDI:
Download the REDI Interest Form
Download the REDI Fact Sheet
Contact us via e-mail: redi@swifoundation.org
Contact us via phone: 1-866-966-6749 (NRGY)
SWIF and the Minnesota Department of Commerce Office of Energy Security recently held meetings to provide an update on the first phase of the Statewide Study for Dispersed Generation potential and an overview of REDI. The presentations from these meetings can be downloaded by clicking on the links below.
MN DOC DG Study Phase I Presentation
REDI Presentation
Dispersed Generation Study
In 2007, the Minnesota Legislature adopted a requirement for a Statewide Study of Dispersed Generation Potential. Each Minnesota electric utility will participate in the two-phase study of the potential for renewable dispersed generation in Minnesota. The focus of the study is to analyze, in two phases, the transmission impact of 600 MW of dispersed renewable generation (1200 MW total) distributed in the five greater Minnesota planning zones. For purposes of this study, dispersed renewable generation projects are Renewable Energy Standard eligible generation projects that are between 10 and 40 MW each. The goal of the study is to identify project sites that will minimize impacts to the transmission system. The potential locations studied were based on public input, regional availability of renewable resources, current dispersed generation in the MISO queue, and access to existing transmission. The second phase (600 MW) will be completed by September 15, 2009.
A number of potential opportunities for new dispersed generation in Minnesota are identified in the results of Phase I of the study report. The Phase I analysis successfully demonstrated a dispersed renewable generation potential scenario where 600 MW could be sited without significantly affecting any transmission infrastructure. Click here for a full report of the findings. The study results also indicated that dispersed generation projects, individually and in aggregate, can have substantial impacts on the transmission grid overall. Parties interested in pursuing any of these potential opportunities must work with their transmission provider as these results do not constitute a full interconnection study. Comments and feedback on the report may be sent to DGStudy.Commerce@state.mn.us.
Online Resources Now Available
Community Wind Handbook
The Southwest Initiative Foundation, along with other partners, funded a community project for Agriculture Utilization Research Institute (AURI) and Windustry to create a Community Wind Handbook and Tool Box. The Community Wind Handbook is a step-by-step manual on creating a community wind project. An Excel spreadsheet is also available to help calculate costs for a wind project. To download these tools, click on the titles below.
NOTE: Each file is large and may take a few minutes to download depending on your Internet connection.
Community Wind Tool Box
The information in the handbook also served as the underlying information that has been expanded into an on-line tool box on Windustry's Web site. The Community Wind Tool Box offers high-quality, practical information, interactive tools and links to related information for farmers and rural landowners looking to develop commercial-scale wind projects. Visit the AURI Web site to view the Community Wind Tool Box.
These are wonderful examples of the tools and resources that SWIF is helping to provide to those interested in the renewable energy industry and to partnering organizations who are supporting this work.
 Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to open pdf documents. If you don't have Adobe Reader you can click here to download Acrobat Reader free.
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