Wind on the Wires staff have made numerous presentations in an effort to work with decision makers to remove barriers that wind energy faces in accessing the electrical transmission system throughout the upper Midwest. Our staff has presented Wind on the Wires work to a variety of individuals and organizations including:

• renewable energy advocacy organizations,
• utility transmission planners,
• FERC commissioners and staff,
• elected and appointed officials,
• regional transmission organizations, and
• conferences and workshops.

Below are news articles, reports, presentations, and informational materials relevant to wind power. Presentation materials may be used only with permission from Wind on the Wires.

Downloadable Documents

May 18 , 2010
Establishing a Fair and Competitive Cost-Allocation Method for Transmission Investment
The Midwest Independent System Operator (Midwest ISO) has released a new draft proposal for allocating costs for electricity transmission lines in the Midwest. The proposal comes after more than a year of negotiation among transmission owners, state regulators, utilities, generation developers, power marketers, environmental organizations and other stakeholders. While the Midwest ISO proposal purports to support Midwest wind development and public policy, Wind on the Wires still has strong concerns, many of which are shared by a number of wind industry stakeholders.

As the Midwest ISO considers how to allocate the costs for new transmission lines, the economic development, jobs, and tax revenue that wind development brings to communities could well hang in the balance. Midwest wind power will also play an important role in making the nation more energy independent and secure, yet limited capacity on the existing transmission grid and uncertainty over the economics of expanding the grid has sharply curtailed development of the Midwest's emerging wind power industry.

The new draft proposal from the Midwest ISO fails to address many of the original concerns relating to wind power, which were outlined in a series of letters over the past year. The concerns include prohibitive transmission costs for new wind development that create a competitive disadvantage for the Midwest as compared to other regions of the country, and lack of a clear transition process between the old cost allocation method and new method for emerging wind energy projects.

An informal survey of Wind on the Wires member wind developers revealed that companies will be forced to take a hard look at development plans in the Midwest if the Midwest ISO fails to adopt a favorable cost allocation policy.

In addition to the economic concerns, the eventual success or failure of the renewable energy goals outlined by the regional Midwest Governors’ Agreement and in individual states could hinge on how the issue of transmission costs is eventually settled.

Below are some of the recent comment letters Wind on the Wires submitted to MISO on three competing proposals for transmission investment:

1. May 19 – WOW Response to Latest MISO Proposal for Cost-Allocation (RECB III)

2. April 27 – WOW response to revised Cost Allocation Recovery Process proposal

3. April 15- Cover letter and general principles related to WOW response to MISO Injection-Withdrawal proposal and Transmission Owners Cost Allocation proposal

4. April 15 – In-depth comments of Wind on the Wires Regarding the MISO Injection-Withdrawal and Transmission Owners Cost Allocation proposals

5. March 23 - Wind on the Wires Initial Comments on the Midwest ISO Transmission Owners’ Cost Allocation Framework

6. March 22 - Wind on the Wires Initial Comments on the Midwest ISO’s Injection-Withdrawal Proposal

May 11 , 2010
Wind on the Wires Key Accomplishments for 2009
Highlights from Wind on the Wires' efforts over the past year to help bring wind energy to market in the midwest.

Attached PDF
1. WOW Key Accomplishments in 2009

October 15, 2008
Minnesota Dispersed Renewable Generation Study (DRG)
The Phase I Report and Phase II Study Scope webinars for the Minnesota Dispersed Renewable Generation Study are now available. The webpage offers Volumes 1 - 3 of the study (Volume 1 is the study report) as well as the presentations from the webinars held on June 16th and October 15th. Follow this link, and scroll down to the bottom of the webpage for the list of available materials.

Attached Link
1. Minnesota DRG Study

July 17, 2008
MISO Queue Reform
AWEA / WOW Joint comments filed at FERC on the MISO Interconnection Queue Reform .

Attached PDF
1. AWEA / WOW Comments on MISO Q Reform 7-17-08

May 12, 2008
Release of the AWEA/DOE/NREL "20% Wind Energy by 2030" Report
Major new technical report finds wind can provide 20% of U.S. electricity needs by 2030.

Attached PDF's and Link
1. AWEA's Press Release on "20% Wind Energy by 2030" Report
2. DOE Press Release 5-12-08
3. Report Available at: www.20percentwind.org

April 2008
AWEA's Wind Power Outlook 2008
Making a Strategic Commitment to a Stable, Clean Energy Supply.
What technology is adding the most new zero-emission electricity to U.S. supply today?

Attached PDF
1. AWEA's Outlook 2008

Spring 2008
MISO Regional Generation Outlet Study
As the study progresses, MISO will be adding more documents to this folder.
Follow the link below to check out the latest developments.

Attached Link
1. MISO Regional Generation Outlet Study

Spring 2008
MISO Queue Reform
Follow the link to the latest information on the MISO Queue reform process.

Attached Link
1. MISO Queue Reform

April 25, 2008
Ohio RPS
New Ohio law expected to spawn 5,000 to 7,000 MW Wind market.
See the attached article published in AWEA's Wind Energy Weekly, Issue 1287.

Attached PDF
1. AWEA WEW OH RPS Artilce 4-25-2008

Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Minnesota's Renewable Electricity Standard
On Thursday, February 22, 2007, Governor Pawlenty signed the
Minnesota Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) into law.
The bill passed the House floor on a vote of 123 to 10.
Support in the Senate was even greater with a final vote of 63 to 3.

Attached PDF
1. MN Renewable Electricity Standard

Tuesday, January 16, 2007
MN Wind Integration Study
Groundbreaking Minnesota Wind Integration Study finds up to
25% wind can be incorporated reliably into electric power system.

Attached PDF
1. MN Wind Integration Study
2 .MN DOC Final Report November 30, 2006

Midwest Wind Power Development
Wind on the Wires provided an overview of Midwest wind power market drivers and projections at a workshop for transmission planners, regulators, and regional stakeholders organized by the National Wind Coordinating Committee in February 2004.

Attached Files
1. NWCC021104_Schuerger.pdf

Net Environmental Impact of Transmission
Wind on the Wires, working with the Union of Concerned Scientists, is conducting a study to quantify the net environmental impacts of transmission expansion envisioned in the Midwest Independent System Operatorﾒs 2003 Expansion Study. This is a mid-project report.

Attached Files
1. NEITS_AWEA_presentation_032904.pdf
2. NEITS_paper_WOW&UCS_032204.pdf

Buffalo Ridge Transmission Case Conditions

Presentation summarizes the conditions that Wind on the Wires crafted and the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission adopted in Xcel Energy's Buffalo Ridge transmission line case. The company's Certificate of Need (CON) requires it to complete specific actions to ensure that the new transmission lines are reserved for wind energy.

Attached Files
1. 345_presentation.pdf

Wind-Hydro Integration In the Missouri Basin

This study is in the process of assessing technical, economic, and institutional opportunities (and barriers) to utilizing hydro generation facilities on the Missouri River system to increase the amount of wind generation capacity in the upper Midwest.

Attached Files
1. WOW_Wind_Hydro_120803.pdf