5.3 ERMUSR 01-14-2020UTILITIESCOMMISSIONMEETING
TO:FROM:
ERMU Commission Troy Adams, P.E. –General Manager
MEETING DATE: AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
January 14,2020 5.3
SUBJECT:
Minnesota MunicipalPower AgencyHometown WindPower Program
ACTION REQUESTED:
Determine location priority;submit for council discussion and consideration.
BACKGROUND:
The Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (MMPA), ERMU’s wholesale power provider, has a
program where they install a demonstration wind turbine in every member city. The agency is
looking to site one of these wind turbines in Elk River.
Potentiallocations werediscussed onNovember18, 2019, during a joint meeting between the
city council and the utilities commission. A number of sites were identifiedfor further
evaluation by staff and MMPA. Additionally, the Sherburne County Government Center site was
discussed as a possible location for evaluation.
DISCUSSION:
As an outcome of the joint meeting, commission and council supported the followingconcepts:
Thewindturbine’s primary purposeis for visibility and education, not production;
therefore the site needs provide exposure for the turbine.
Thewindturbine willbe usedfor marketing and community engagement as a
demonstrationsiteforpublicpower.
Take into consideration: noise; blade ice; maintenance access; spill prevention, control,
andcountermeasure(SPCC)plan; andlightflicker. Don’tsiteturbineinanexistinghighly
developedresidentialarea.
Take land opportunity costs into consideration; don’t site turbine onland that has a
higher value for a greater public purpose.
Understand that the turbine wouldbe owned,maintained, and eventually
decommissioned by MMPA; the city has no direct ownership or investment in the
turbine asset.
The two siteoptions generated from thejoint meeting discussion were both city-owned
properties. Option #1 is a lot in the Northstar Business Park off Tyler Street. Option #2 is the
Youth Athletic Complex (YAC). Attached are site plans for the two sites with possible turbine
locations indicated.
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On November 30, 2019, the Star News published an opinion regarding the MMPA turbines and
concerns overmigratory birds and bats. MMPAis experiencedin wind turbine siting, owning
multiple wind farms as well as the eleven Hometown WindPower Program turbines located in
the other MMPA membercities. MMPA will address this concern. The opinion letter is attached
forreference.
Staff would liketodiscusswith the commission next stepsfor siting this tower.
ATTACHMENT:
MMPA Hometown WindPower Program – Site Option #1
MMPA Hometown WindPower Program – Site Option #2
Star News – Opinion: Wind turbines blow in concerns for birds – November 30, 2019
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