EOE: Wind Energy in ND - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

EOE: Wind Energy in ND

Wind can create plenty of issues...just look at what it has been like outside the last few days -- dangerously cold wind chills and all...

But that wind can be used for good too -- and is so increasingly around North Dakota.

In our Eye on Energy today, we get an update on a decision in Washington that will keep wind power feasible for the foreseeable future.

Here's Perry Olson.

They are certainly numerous...

(Daryl Hill - Basin Electric) "Driving on 83 from Bismarck to Minot, you can count almost 200 towers..."

Wind towers dominate the landscape both north of Bismarck and south of Minot -- and Basin Electric benefits from them. Though they don't own all the towers you drive by, they do secure all the power they produce. That means Basin benefits from what happened in Washington as 2012 arrived: Production tax credits are back on the books...

"That is good news for folks who are looking to develop wind projects because those help make wind projects very competitive."

During the 'fiscal cliff' dealing on Capitol Hill, this credit was given new life...keeping the industry more profitable...

"You could still do it without that, but your costs might be a bit higher. When you look at what wind can provide in terms of a generating portfolio, they are a fuel displacer so when the wind is available you can use that power to displace electricity to produce from another fuel source."

And wind is certainly available in North Dakota -- just look at all the farms that have popped up -- Minot, Bismarck, New Salem, Rugby...they are numerous -- and continue to be good business with the support of the federal government. With your Eye on Energy, Perry Olson, KX News.

Basin has also started building two natural gas fired generators in the Bakken region.

They should be in service this summer and help produce more electricity in the Williston Basin.