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East River named Wind Co-op of Year
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JEFF NELSON (right) accepts the "Wind Cooperative of the Year" award from Jonathon Bartlett, Department of Energy Strategic Marketing & Outreach manager for the Wind and Water Power Program. (Submitted photo)
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Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Power America Initiative in partnership with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), the designation honors one electric generation and transmission cooperative for its leadership in wind power.
A panel of wind industry, utility, government, national laboratory and cooperative experts selected East River from a group of 15 nominees nationwide.
Fairbanks, Alaska-based Golden Valley Electric Association was selected in the distribution cooperative category.
A wholesale electric power supply cooperative serving eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota, East River is regarded as one of wind power's earliest champions. In 2009, the co-op created South Dakota Wind Partners LLC (SDWP), a model for community-based, locally-owned wind development that relied on South Dakota citizens rather than large equity investors.
SDWP targeted the 151-megawatt (MW) Prairie Winds SD1 project as its first opportunity, adding another 10.5 MW, and worked with East River to promote investor meetings across the state. The concept met with overwhelming acceptance, meeting the aggressive offering goal of $16 million in just 60 days with investments from more than 600 South Dakotans.
"South Dakota Wind Partners demonstrated a new model for development of a renewable energy project by enabling widespread local ownership," said Jeff Nelson, East River Electric Power Cooperative general manager. "East River and its members are committed to increasing local value. We are very pleased that the South Dakota Wind Partners created new local wealth and proved a new model for accomplishing that goal."
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©Madison Daily Leader 2013
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