American and Central South Dakota (South Dakota) is located in strong wind areas, wind resources, the U.S. ranked fourth. This piece of land also is expected to become the world’s biggest wind turbine power plant is located, and then flow to the thousands of miles away in eastern population centers such as Chicago and Boston, transmission of electricity.

According to “Christian Science Monitor” reported that the United States with the political winds shift to renewable energy, about the construction of wind down the nation’s electricity transmission network such as the proposal appeared mushroomed. President Obama said he hoped the central Great Plains area of wind energy can supply for Chicago and other cities. Department of Energy (Department of Energy) a report last year also showed that by 2020, the United States is expected to achieve 20% electricity from wind power, one of a wind power development in South Dakota is.

Although the South Dakota wind resource-rich, but Nelson believes that if we do not set up wind power transmission lines, like “can not make bricks without straw,” or lack of wind resource development. He said: “These high voltage transmission line from the farm-to-market as transport corridors, but the delivery of products here rather than wheat, but the electricity.”

And also expressed opposition to someone. According to the Midwest Independent Transmission System Scheduling institutions (Midwest Independent System Operator) 2 month 14 day release of the new “Joint Coordination System” (Joint Coordinated System Plan) data, to make use of wind speed 20-30 miles per hour of wind power and transmission line connections, required to spend about 80 billion U.S. dollars, set up about 15,000 miles (1 km approximately 0.6 miles) of new transmission lines.

However, people who are against the Titans plan to shift the transmission line is called “washing the Green Corridor Plan” (Green-wash Express, “green wash” that is, under the guise of environmental protection to earn a good image, in fact, does not act in environmental protection), because these of coal-fired electricity transmission lines may even be greater than the volume of wind power.

Traditionally, the transmission cost by the cable network channels to spend state taxpayers. For instance, South Dakota Titan transmission scheme will be across seven states, and these states have their own transmission network to set up the site requirements, cost-sharing requirements.

South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (Public Utility Commission) Chairman Dusty Johnson (Dusty Johnson) said, (the construction of large-scale wind power grid) has the “technical risk”, it is possible costly investment immense power transmission network will be useless. He said: “If it turns out that, everyone at their own backyard to set up small wind turbines, or at the roadside using solar cells, wind power than to build a transmission network costs is much more cost-effective up to that time will be required of these wind power grid? I or think necessary, but one of the investment is not without risk. ”

Another question is Where to build wind power transmission lines. Even in more open areas, transmission towers and turbines would occupy a large area of agricultural land; simultaneously at suburban, 150-200 feet (about 1 foot 30.48 centimeters) high tower of the wind power is not only conducive to the landscape, and wind along the electric transmission may be noise, once the surrounding residents were opposed, line construction will drag on a few years.

These factors led to a wind siting electric transmission lines difficult. International Power Transmission Holding Company (ITC), Ms. Aragon said: “We are proposed (for the Titan wind power transmission scheme) used to streamline the (location) program. In many states on the site there is no specific limit of time … … If the scope of the state unable to complete the Express site, we may need to go into the site selection process the federal level. ”

According to the United States federal law, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) has designated the eastern and western coastal areas of some “National Corridor” area for the erection of power transmission lines. The Commission can also specify other places. Therefore, if the state level can not be in the “National Corridor” area to complete the site, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the right to cross the state, determining the site.

In view of this, the United States wind power transmission network of supporters could only comfort themselves in one sentence: The United States set up the future of wind power transmission network to affirm the ” is just a frame where the problem and who are asked to pay.

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