Ingrid
Walk for Wind 2006: Ortonville & Morris
by Ingrid and MichaelI decided to go on the Walk for Wind about five minutes before it was time to depart. My friend, Michael Brakke, is involved with the Sierra Club, and recruited me to go. I have never been involved in environmental activism, and was hesitant, but he promised me a Frosty from Wendy's on the way out of town, which was very difficult to refuse on a sultry summer day. Besides, I have always wondered what the Sierra Club was like, so I figured this would be a good way to find out.
It was refreshing to escape the city. With fellow newcomer Scott, we drove into the sunset in a rented Dodge Grand Caravan — the mighty "Silver Bullet." I soon realized that the sight of Michael driving a minivan was itself worth the trip. After following the winding, dusky roads through West-Central Minnesota's quiet towns, we arrived at Big Stone Lake State Park. It was after dark. But early arrivals Rich (a certified grandmaster of campfire construction) and Christopher (who makes gourmet s'mores with almond chocolate bars) were there to happily greet us. Others soon arrived (Stacey, Paul, and Matt) to be followed in the wee-hours of the morning by Cesia, Daniela, and Dan. By the moonlit shores of Big Stone Lake we enjoyed excited conversation, watched satellites trace their way across the starry skies, and wondered what the next day would bring.
Michael
We woke up early the next morning. I had to go searching to find Michael in a nearby field, where the ginormous bugs of the Great Plains had dropped him the night before. But soon the group was organized into a caravan of Sierra Club soldiers (plus me), determined to tour the Big Stone coal-fired power plant, and to discuss its proposed expansion ("Big Stone II") with the plant's owners/operators.
Off we went, strong in numbers and light on sleep, to conquer the frontier of South Dakota and its love of coal. I don't know if it was the thought of roving herds of bison, or of what these people were going to say to a group that is protesting the development of their new "Big Stone II" plant, but I was a little bit nervous to cross the state line. At first my fears were confirmed as we approached the plant with its fifteen-foot barbed-wire fence. I wondered, "maybe I'll just wait right here within the safety of the Silver Bullet and let the group tell me ALL about it when they get back… yep, that's what I'll do." There to greet us in the parking lot was a jolly looking man by the name of Steve Schultz. He seemed welcoming enough, so I stepped out.
Big Stone coal-fired power plant
Once we were inside the plant we were escorted to a conference room where we had a questions and answer forum. A group of representatives from Big Stone and Ottertail Power told us about the basic operation of the coal plant and its proposed expansion, its emissions profile, and the pollution controls that are and would be placed on the new plant. The complexity of the issue was overwhelming, but instructive. We then took a tour of the plant itself to see firsthand what we had heard. And guess what? I got to wear goggles and a hard hat!
Unfortunately the plant was not operating due to scheduled maintenance, but I was still in awe of the amazing engineering that goes into making one of these plants work. We saw the enormous pile of pulverized coal, brought by train from the Powder River Basin of Wyoming, now waiting for combustion; the facility for storing and processing other materials burned for energy, such as tires; the 30-story boiler, which must be hung from the rafters so it can expand in the intense heat of operation (reaches 3,000 degrees); and the enormous ponds of water used by the plant. We even got to make the long trek to the roof of the boiler (the tallest building in South Dakota!) for the stunning view of the horizon, the plant, and the transmission lines stretching into the distance.
I must say I was overwhelmed by the scale of the plant and the amount of work that goes into making sure my lights turn on when I flip the switch. It can be daunting to advocate against something that is also hard to understand. However, despite the kind hospitality of our hosts, it was obvious that there were questions they could not adequately answer. How much coal is really enough? Minnesota already gets 75% of its power from coal, so the explanation that more "base-load" power was needed was not sufficient. And what about wind? The Upper Midwest has the best wind resources in the country, yet Minnesota only gets 2% of its power from this renewable fuel. We should tap that first, especially with the rising cost of coal. It was tempting, as someone who does not have a background in environmental issues, to hear them talk about the relatively "low" emissions from the existing and proposed plant and think, "That doesn't sound so bad." But then I remembered that mercury, even in low concentrations, is highly toxic. And that our earth, faced with a global warming problem of increasing magnitude, needs fewer greenhouse gas emissions, not more. Big Stone II would increase South Dakota's CO2 emissions by 1/3, as much as all of its automobiles currently emit! 100 years ago may have been the right time for more coal. Not today. With all of the social costs, coal is more expensive than wind. It soon became obvious with more scrutiny that the Walk for Wind was a noble walk to take, for so many reasons.
And so we thanked the folks from Big Stone for a respectful tour, washed our hands of the grime of coal (literally and figuratively), and drove to Morris, Minnesota. Our goal was seen long before we had reached the city limits: a sleek wind turbine, spinning in the distance. We got closer, we arrived, and never did it lose its allure.
We found ourselves at the West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC). There, Greg Cuomo, Director of WCROC, spoke engagingly about the history of the turbine and their other renewable energy projects. It is amazing how much they have accomplished, and they spoke with candor about the challenges of producing renewable energies in the face of self-interested utilities, skeptical leaders, and misinformation. Nonetheless, they have found success. Sandy, from the University of Minnesota-Morris, talked with pride about the sustainability of the campus, which strives to be entirely self-sufficient and powered by renewable energy within five years. The wind turbine, which I could see through sunlit windows as they spoke, provides over half of the electricity used by the entire campus!
Walk through fields to the Morris wind turbine
Walk to the Morris wind turbine
We soon walked to the turbine, through gardens and working agricultural facilities. As I approached, stood in awe below, and even stepped inside, I was struck by the contrast between what I now saw, and what I had seen earlier that morning. The turbine was quiet, clean, even beautiful. It was effective, yet simple. The wind blew, the turbine spun, and the power was generated all in a working field growing spring crops. The same plot of land could grow food to eat, grow energy to power our homes, and grow jobs for the local economy. It seemed so simple, and I was finally beginning to understand why the Sierra Club is so committed to making renewable energy work.
Inside the Morris wind turbine
Leaving the Morris wind turbine
Motivated by what we had seen, we went to "Walk" for wind. In striking yellow shirts we took to the sidewalks of Morris, to show support for what western Minnesota can do with wind — which never stopped blowing all weekend. On a sleepy Saturday afternoon in small-town Minnesota, the streets were calm. But we got passersby to notice, especially a curious wedding party! We may not have changed all minds with one walk. But my guess is that one day, whenever it is, when a critical mass of consensus occurs and people realize it is time to act decisively — about global warming, environmental problems, and the positive solutions that are renewable energies — they might remember those people with the yellow shirts, and lend us their support.
Inspired by the Morris wind turbine
We spent the night at another beautiful campsite with waterfront property — the Pomme de Terre River (a fancy French phrase for "Potato" River). It was a wonderful place to relax after a long day of activism and intellectual stimulation. There was a great barbecue, some live music by Martha, a beautiful campfire (more s'mores), and interesting conversations that ranged from environmental issues to youth athletics in East Germany to the intricacies of alpaca farming. No kidding. And Michael and I even won a game of bocce ball. Just as satisfying, the entire night I could see the Morris wind turbine, creating clean energy in the waning sunlight, reflected in the waters between.
Earl Hauge's Brooten wind turbine
Sunday morning we slept in, and on the way out of town stopped by Don's Cafe for more socializing and good eating. Good eating it was! I now know how the Pomme de Terre River got its name — the "side order" of hash browns served by this establishment could feed a large Irish family with a predilection for potatoes, and the plate of fries was similarly epic. My guess is the entire state of Idaho's primary trading partner is Don's Cafe in Morris, Minnesota. We rolled each other out the door and continued to our final stop of the weekend.
We tip-toed our way back to the Twin Cities, but first drove to the top of a hill in Glenwood, Minnesota, to the stunning home of Earl Hauge, an erstwhile state representative. He is a strong supporter of renewable energy, concerned about the expansion of Big Stone, and in general believes we all could do much more to encourage renewable energy development. He soon invited us to view the countryside from his roof! As we sauntered across the slanted shingles, we viewed the long arc of the rural horizon and the beautiful shores of Lake Minnewaska, carved, as Earl told us, by past glaciers.
Earl is a great guy for many reasons — one of them being the wind turbine he has on his farm. He brought us to his farm near Brooten, and we saw the wind turbine he co-owns with clean energy advocate Carl Nelson of the Green Institute. At 35 kilowatts it is much smaller than Morris's 1.65 megawatt turbine, but it is still impressive. And the thought of it powering his farm, and the free-range chicken coop he later showed us, was impressive. Imagine if all farms, all rural towns, had the commitment to act similarly.
Weekends must end, and it was soon time to leave. We thanked Earl, and parted ways. The Silver Bullet began the journey back to the urban jungle, with some hesitation. As one who has rarely thought about energy and environmental issues, I learned much, and look forward to doing more. Thanks to the Sierra Club for a great Walk for Wind!
Wind walkers below Earl Hauge's Brooten wind turbine