Wind energy sector sees massive expansion in North Dakota
http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/wind-energy-sector-sees-massive-expansion-in-north-dakota/article_b29c4e50-f8be-5399-ad46-5ee3811c8965.html...It may be difficult to tell for those who don’t know, but the 25,000-pound, 187-foot structures being loaded onto trains are some of the first wind turbine blades LM Wind Power in Grand Forks ships across the country by rail. The rail facility was completed in December, with LM sending out its first shipment of blades about two weeks ago....
...A train carrying 36 blades for wind turbines will leave the facility once a week. That means 36 fewer semis meant to haul blades will be free to haul something else once a week, cutting down expenses, shipment time and truck traffic.
Dozens of blades are waiting at the rail yard to be shipped to Kansas and California as staff work to load the white giants onto rail cars.
The construction of the rail facility is just one indicator of the wind industry’s growth. The sector in the U.S. had its second-strongest quarter, and the American Wind Energy Association announced last Thursday that near-record growth made wind energy the largest source of renewable electric capacity in the U.S. ahead of hydro power....
...Companies have used tax credits to subsidize wind projects across the country, including in North Dakota. After being renewed several times, the 2015 Congress agreed to phase out the Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit on an 80-60-40 percent schedule, with the credit ending in 2019.
Christmann cited tax credits that have been extended to wind companies over the years as a catalyst for the wind energy’s growth, with many trying to qualify for subsidies....
...Capacity is how much energy can be produced, though most producers’ actual output is less. Wind farms average about 25 percent of their capacity.
The ability to capture wind may be one of the reasons North Dakota has seen growth in the industry. Some wind farms have the ability to capture 40 percent, or 1,200 megawatts per hour of capacity....
...A world leader in producing turbine blades, LM is one of the largest manufacturers in North Dakota, with more than 1,000 employees, said Keith Lund, vice president of the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corp. In the past four months alone, the company has added 200 positions....
...LM added more employees in recent years and announced in October that General Electric would purchase the blade manufacturer for $1.65 billion. The sale likely will be finalized later this year....
