Article published May 1, 2008

Turn wind into a commodity, expert says

By KARL PUCKETT

Tribune Staff Writer

Everybody knows Montana has the wind. Now it's up to Montanans to decide whether they want to turn it into an agricultural commodity that can be exported, just like beef or barley.

That's what a government wind expert told a crowd of about 40 residents at Montana State University-Great Falls College of Technology on Wednesday evening.

"The real question you have to answer is 'What are you going to do next?'" said Gary Seifert, program manager at the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls.

Seifert, who works for the DOE's Wind Powering America Program, which promotes the wind industry, was invited to give an educational address here by Cascade County Commissioner Peggy Beltrone.

Beltrone, member of a steering committee for Wind Powering America, developed the county's wind marketing program.

The DOE has adopted a policy of having renewable energy powering 20 percent of the nation's electricity needs by 2030, Beltrone said. States also are requiring more use of renewable energy such as wind.

That's ramping up the pace of wind development, she said, and Montanans stand to reap the benefits.

"It isn't just someone's dream to reach these numbers; there are some current policies," Beltrone said.

Seifert said one 2.5-megawatt wind turbine could equal $5,000 to $7,000 a year for a landowner, or $80,000 to $100,000 over the span of a 20-year lease.

A 100-megawatt wind farm will bring in about $1 million in property taxes a year, he said.

Two or three states put together can't equal the wind resources in Montana, Seifert said.

It's in the top three states in the country in potential, but currently produces 164 megawatts of power. Nationally, wind generates 17,000 megawatts of electricity.

The state of Washington, Seifert said, has very little wind, but generates 10 times more than Montana. The reason it's producing so much on less wind is the state has transmission to ship the product, unlike Montana.

Seifert considers wind another agricultural commodity that's produced here and shipped to bigger markets.

"And what comes back?" he said. "Money."

But states need to have a balanced approach to producing electricity, he said, noting the wind doesn't blow all the time.

"Predominantly, wind competes with natural gas," he said.

After an audience member asked for advice in dealing with wind developers who are knocking at her door seeking to lease land, he urged caution, telling her to check with trade associations and on-line information.

"You have to be a little bit careful," he said.

It's a myth that wind companies bring employees with them to build the farms, he said. They hire mostly local labor, he said.

Landowners have the option of putting up a turbine or two to save on their electricity bills or teaming up with a developer to build a larger project.

"Do you want to support farms? Maybe," Seifert said. "But don't get sucked into the one-size-fits-all."