Residents tilt at windmill, but Medina Council approves it

The council decided that construction of renewable energy sources has to start somewhere -- so why not start by building their own wind turbine?

By LAURIE BLAKE, Star Tribune

Last update: November 6, 2008 - 11:14 PM

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Despite opposition from numerous residents, Medina City Council members have unanimously agreed to welcome a 407-foot wind turbine to the town's rural landscape.

Facing a crowd of 75 to 100 residents, about two-thirds of whom opposed the turbine, the council Wednesday night took "a fairly courageous'' stand in favor of the wind generator proposed by Hennepin County, said City Council Member Elizabeth Weir.

"This is how we begin to address the need for renewable, clean energy and to keep the price reasonable,'' she said. "So many people said 'I am for renewable energy, but Medina is the wrong place for it.' But one can imagine that being said everywhere, and it has to begin somewhere.''

Weir said she regrets that some residents are distressed over the plans but added, "I think it's a larger issue, and I see Medina stepping into the future and taking a leadership role."

With the city's OK, Hennepin County can proceed with erecting its first wind turbine at a county maintenance base off Hwy. 55 in Medina.

The county's goal is to reduce its $7 million annual electric bill by generating wind energy and selling it to Xcel Energy Co.

Once the county takes bids on a turbine and knows exactly how much electricity it is expected to generate, it will begin negotiating the terms of its electricity sale to Xcel Energy, said Carl Michaud, director of environmental services for Hennepin County.

The county will not build the turbine unless it can make enough from the sale of the electricity to pay for the turbine and operating costs and have some money left over to lower the county's electric costs, he said.

The county pays $7 million a year for electricity and wants to reduce that by generating some of its own. The turbine is expected to produce enough power to meet the annual needs of 500 to 700 homes, Michaud said.

To finance construction of the turbine, the county will sell a "clean, renewable energy bond,'' and the private party that buys the bond will get a tax credit, he said.

Although Medina residents raised concerns about the turbine lowering property values and making noise, the turbine's size was what sparked the most objections, said Medina City Administrator Chad Adams said.

The city had been concerned that the turbine would limit the possibility of locating a new water tower in Medina. But there are at least two locations where a water tower would not block the wind to the turbine, Weir said.

Laurie Blake • 612-673-1711

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