Wind Generation on Winnebago Tribal Lands

The Winnebago Wind Energy Study evaluated facility-scale, community-scale and commercial-scale wind development on Winnebago Tribal lands in northeastern Nebraska. The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska has been pursuing wind development in various forms for nearly ten years. Wind monitoring utilizing loaned met towers from NREL took place during two different periods. From April 2001 to April 2002, a 20-meter met tower monitored wind data at the WinnaVegas Casino on the far eastern edge of the Winnebago reservation in Iowa. In late 2006, a 50-meter tower was installed, and subsequently monitored wind data at the WinnaVegas site from late 2006 through late 2008. Significant challenges with the NREL wind monitoring equipment limited the availability of valid data, but based on the available data, average wind speeds between 13.6 – 14.3 miles were indicated, reflecting a 2+/3- wind class. Based on the anticipated cost of energy produced by a WinnaVegas wind turbine, and the utility policies and rates in place at this time, a WinnaVegas wind project did not appear to make economic sense. However, if substantial grant funding were available for energy equipment at the casino site, and if either Woodbury REC backup rates were lower, or NIPCO was willing to pay more for wind power, a WinnaVegas wind project could be feasible. With funding remaining in the DOE-funded project budget,a number of other possible wind project locations on the Winnebago reservation were considered. in early 2009, a NPPD-owned met tower was installed at a site identified in the study pursuant to a verbal agreement with NPPD which provided for power from any ultimately developed project on the Western Winnebago site to be sold to NPPD. Results from the first seven months of wind monitoring at the Western Winnebago site were as expected at just over 7 meters per second at 50-meter tower height, reflecting Class 4 wind speeds, adequate for commercial development. If wind data collected in the remaining months of the twelve-month collection period is consistent with that collected in the first seven months, the Western Winnebago site may present an interesting opportunity for Winnebago. Given the distance to nearby substations, and high cost of interconnection at higher voltage transmission lines, Winnebago would likely need to be part of a larger project in order to reduce power costs to more attractive levels. Another alternative would be to pursue grant funding for a portion of development or equipment costs, which would also help reduce the cost of power produced. The NREL tower from the WinnaVegas site was taken down in late 2008, re-instrumented and installation attempted on the Thunderway site south of the Winnebago community. Based on projected wind speeds, current equipment costs, and the project’s proximity to substations for possible interconnection, a Thunderway community-scale wind project could also be feasible