Stewards of the Earth
With a goal of long term self-sufficiency, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community has invested in several energy projects in recent years. By producing energy rather than purchasing it from an outside source, the tribe is taking care of its own needs. The wind turbine is one of several components devised to meet this goal.
After more than 10 years of planning, a new 1.5 megawatt wind turbine at the SMSC Wacipi (Pow Wow) Grounds became operational in October 2009. The energy is currently sold on the grid but in the future it may be used to directly power the reservation.
Wind energy is a low-cost emerging renewable energy resource which does not contribute to global warming. The only pollution that is produced by a wind turbine comes during the manufacturing and transport process. Once erected, the wind turbine has no negative impacts and the sound is negligible to nearby homes and enterprises.
Minnesota is one of the largest producers of wind energy in the nation, generating 12.7% of the electricity generated in the state. The state of Minnesota has set renewable energy standard that requires 25 percent of the state’s energy to come from renewable sources by 2025. The SMSC wind turbine is an example of the effort to meet that goal.
Wind data collected by the SMSC over nearly a 10-year period demonstrate that this area of Minnesota has what is considered moderate to low winds for commercial wind development. The data shows a range from 0 to over 25 miles per hour wind with an average speed of 11 mph at an elevation of 164 feet. The turbine blades turn from winds as light as six and a half mph and continue through about 40 mph when it will shut itself off. About twice a year maintenance is required.
At 386 feet from foundation to the tip of a blade fully extended vertically, the wind turbine is the equivalent of a 38-story building. It operates around the clock throughout the year, anytime the wind is blowing. This single turbine is capable of supplying enough energy for all of the Community residential energy demand. It produces about .5 megawatt per year since wind does not blow all the time in this area.
Ground site preparation for installation of the turbine was completed in August 2009, when the foundation ring was installed and buried underground. It was later covered with sod. Burial of the foundation 12 feet deep was necessary to provide adequate support. Federal aviation requirements due to the nearby Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, mandated the maximum height at the tip of the blade at 1,340 feet above sea level. The location in a small valley at the Wacipi Grounds helped meet this requirement.
Components of the turbine are the foundation or base, the steel tower, three blades, a hub, a nacelle, and internal systems to transfer the power to the base. Due to their sheer size, transport was somewhat complicated. Once all the parts arrived, it only took two days to assemble using a 600 ton capacity crane with 335 feet of boom. Rainy and muddy conditions did not deter the crew, though it created quite a mess around the site.
Energy created by the turbine is metered as it enters the nearby Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative substation that provides electricity to the SMSC and the surrounding area. The energy is sold to Basin Energy, the supply cooperative for the Minnesota Valley Electrical Cooperative. Basin Energy pays the Community for the power on a monthly basis.
The $1.8 million wind turbine, which has a payback period of about 15 years, has a life expectancy of 30 years. The SMSC wind turbine will also demonstrate that wind energy is viable in areas of moderate to low winds.
The wind turbine is one of several Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community energy initiatives already underway.