Date: 9/25/2014

Source: Micheal Clements, National Association of Farm Broadcasters

Audio with Dan McGuire, co-chair of the Nebraska Wind and Solar Conference (MP3 4.6 MB). Download Windows Media Player. Time: 00:03:21.

While speaking at the Sustainability Leadership Presentation Series earlier this month, Dan McGuire discussed the progress in 2013 ovecoming transmission barriers for wind energy. McGuire is a leader in the wind energy industry. He spoke about the 2013 Wind Technologies Market report. McGuire says the report points out there was solid transmission progress in 2013, with 3,500 miles of circuit transmission.

"If we think of wind turbines as grain terms, as a combine about 300 feet in the air harvesting a new cash crop of wind-generated electricity, then in terms of transmission being the farm-to-market road, we might think of a substation as a country elevator where you're gathering the product, in this case it's wind-generated electrons, and moving it on down the line to the customer and the consumer, and so it's really good that it's being upgraded. And part of what I was doing in terms of dealing with this subject was making a presentation. I had the privilege of being their leadoff speaker for this semester."

You can see that presentation on the American Corn Growers Foundation website, www.acgf.org. That report McGuire spoke on is issued once a year. Regarding the report, McGuire says:

"Some of their conclusions for 2013 were that annual wind additions were modest, but signals pointed to a more robust growth in 2014 and 15. And in fact, in 2013, that wind was a significant source of new generation and has been ever since 2007. The other thing they pointed out is that trends are enabling very aggressive wind-power pricing and solid economics in many regions despite low natural gas prices. And if we look beyond even 2014, their conclusions, one of them was that growth after 2015 remains uncertain dictated in part by future natural gas prices and then of course some of the older fossil plant facilities could be retired, that's another factor, then of course policy decisions in Washington, D.C."

Another event will highlight wind energy next month. McGuire says the 7th annual Nebraska Wind and Solar Conference will feature national-level speakers.

"Tom Kiernan, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association, wealth of knowledge. He'll be our key leadoff speaker. We will have Dr. Karen Wayland of the U.S. Department of Energy, and then we're going to have Bob Dixon, the mayor of Greensburg, Kansas. He'll be the luncheon speaker on Thursday, October 30th. Greensburg was unfortunately hit by a tornado back in May of 2007. Mayor Dixon and the community leaders led the town; they became a model for other towns who wanted to have renewable energy. Now they get about 100% renewable power."

That conference will be October 29th and 30th in LaVista, Nebraska. Find out more online at www.nebraskawindandsolarconference.com.

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