Forget the Duck Curve. Renewables Integration in the Midwest Is a Whole Other Animal

What is the Upper Midwest’s energy mascot? Fresh Energy’s Andrew Twite presents: the Smilin’ Gator Curve.

In the Great Plains, wind energy is cheap. Crazy cheap.

With the lowest levelized costs approaching $10 per megawatt-hour and thousands of megawatts being procured for under $20 per megawatt-hour, PPAs for new wind farms cost less than just the fuel required to run existing coal or natural gas plants.

Minnesota: Worry over wind energy tax credit expiring

It's money that's created several jobs in our area, but the wind energy tax credit is set to expire. The question now is should it be extended?

Mower County has invested a lot in renewable energy over the years and this past year received more money for wind energy programs than any county in the state, but that soon could be reduced severely.

"The Production Tax Credit bill has expired three other times and each time it was renewed. It's kind of a boom, bust scenario," says Steve Vietor, a wind/solar instructor at Riverland Community College.