| WIND VISION 2020 WHEREAS, North Dakota is ranked first among states in wind power potential; and WHEREAS, wind power is the least expensive form of renewable electricity and it is quickly becoming the least expensive form of any new generation; and WHEREAS, wind power is the fastest growing form of electrical generation in the world; and WHEREAS, wind energy development in North Dakota could result in billions of dollars in capital investment and tens of millions in new annual economic activity mostly in rural areas; and WHEREAS, North Dakota could derive increased benefit from wind energy development if farmers, ranchers, and rural become equitable participants, including owners of wind generation facilities; and WHEREAS, based on Energy Information Administration forecasts the 5% DOE initiative would result in 82,262 megawatts of turbine capacity; and WHEREAS, among the top 20 states with utility scale wind resources, North Dakota has 11.56% of the convertible power potential, alone being capable of producing nearly 35% of the U.S. electricity consumption in the year 2000; and WHEREAS, developing North Dakota’s wind resource proportional to its value and the national initiative would mean 9,394 megawatts of installed turbine capacity by the end of 2020; and WHEREAS, given other emerging non-grid opportunities such as using wind electricity to produce hydrogen, an accurate proportional development objective should be 10,000 megawatts by the end of 2020; and WHEREAS, Wind Vision 2020 sets a state wind development objective of 10,000 megawatts by the end of 2020; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that South Central Citizen Coalition: 1. endorse the 10,000 megawatt turbine capacity objective of Wind Vision 2020; 2. amend the objective to include having at least 20% of wind power generation locally owned; 3. call on the Governor and legislature of North Dakota to make this the official state development objective; and 4. call on the Governor and legislature to instruct all state agencies, departments and commissions to include consideration for the successful realization of this objective in their long- and short-term planning. VII. RENEWABLE ENERGY LEASING AND SITING WHEREAS, wind developers show increasing interest in developing North Dakota’s wind energy resources; and WHEREAS, leasing and siting of renewable energy facilities carry many of the same prospects for abusive treatment of landowners as leasing and siting of non-renewable facilities; and WHEREAS, the state has not enacted comprehensive legislation specific to wind energy leasing and siting; WHEREAS, it would be inconsistent for South Central Citizen Coalition not to insist on the same landowner protections for renewable energy leasing and siting that it has long advocated for non-renewable leasing; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that South Central Citizen Coalition support wind energy leasing and siting legislation that includes the following components: 1. Non-severability of wind rights (easements) from surface rights; 2. Limitation of the duration of options to contract to no more than five years; 3. Prohibition of nondisclosure or secrecy clauses that prevent parties from revealing the contents of leases; 4. Specific recognition of the right of landowners to bargain collectively for contract terms; 5. Protection of the property rights of all adjacent landowners; 6. Assessment of a surety bond to protect landowners and the public from absorbing the cost of reclaiming abandoned sites. V111. PUBLIC BENEFITS FUND WHEREAS, the state of North Dakota has the best wind energy resource in the United States; and WHEREAS, the people of North Dakota have demonstrated support for the development of wind energy in North Dakota; and WHEREAS, THE AMOUNT OF STATE FUNDS CURRENTLY PROVIDED BY NORTH DAKOTA FOR THE MARKETING OF LIGNITE ENERGY AND ETHANOL IS IMMENSE AND NON-EXISTENT FOR WIND ENERGY, AND WHEREAS, there is no mechanism for interested residents of North Dakota to be able to donate funds for renewable energy; and WHEREAS, wind energy will bring about economic development to farmers, ranchers, and local communities and help to sustain the rural economy of North Dakota; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that South Central Citizen Coalition urge the governor and the state legislators to establish a Public Benefits Fund paid voluntarily on state residents’ utility bills to establish a state fund to be used for renewable energy research and development. IX. STATE PERCENT PURCHASE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY WHEREAS, North Dakota has the number one wind energy resource in the United States; and WHEREAS, wind energy is cost competitive with existing fossil fuel energy and less expensive than new fossil fuel energy; and WHEREAS, wind energy development in North Dakota will provide local economic development to farmers, ranchers and rural communities; and WHEREAS, income from wind energy development in North Dakota will stay in North Dakota; and |