Washington, D.C. —
Senator John Thune will serve as the keynote speaker at a conference organized by the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative entitled "Wind Energy and Transmission: The South Dakota Landscape." The conference will be held in Sioux Falls on November 30th.
"I am no stranger to South Dakota wind," said Thune. "South Dakota is the windiest state in the nation, and my hometown of Murdo is one of our windiest towns. Wind can give us clean, renewable energy and I am committed to making wind an integral part of our nation's energy strategy."
The conference will be an opportunity to address South Dakota's unique opportunities to develop wind power as well as the expansion of transmission infrastructure in the state.
Some of Senator Thune's legislative actions to promote wind energy development include:
Clean Energy Corridors Amendment: Senator Thune's amendment to create Clean Energy Corridors was successfully included as an amendment to the CLEAN Energy Act, passed by the Senate in June 2007. By expanding the definition of National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors to include renewable energy, this amendment would establish a streamlined process for building transmission lines that transmit renewable electrical energy from rural power generation sites to urban areas.
Wind Energy Development Act of 2007: Senator Thune introduced the Wind Energy Development Act, which would extend the 2-cent-per-kWh tax credit for wind energy for four years through 2012. This bill would also increase the successful Clean Renewable Energy Bonds from $1.2 billion to $2.25 billion.
In May, Senator Thune hosted a Wind Energy Roundtable in Sioux Falls which focused on developing transmission infrastructure in South Dakota and featured leaders and experts from the Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and leading energy providers.
"I am no stranger to South Dakota wind," said Thune. "South Dakota is the windiest state in the nation, and my hometown of Murdo is one of our windiest towns. Wind can give us clean, renewable energy and I am committed to making wind an integral part of our nation's energy strategy."
The conference will be an opportunity to address South Dakota's unique opportunities to develop wind power as well as the expansion of transmission infrastructure in the state.
Some of Senator Thune's legislative actions to promote wind energy development include:
Clean Energy Corridors Amendment: Senator Thune's amendment to create Clean Energy Corridors was successfully included as an amendment to the CLEAN Energy Act, passed by the Senate in June 2007. By expanding the definition of National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors to include renewable energy, this amendment would establish a streamlined process for building transmission lines that transmit renewable electrical energy from rural power generation sites to urban areas.
Wind Energy Development Act of 2007: Senator Thune introduced the Wind Energy Development Act, which would extend the 2-cent-per-kWh tax credit for wind energy for four years through 2012. This bill would also increase the successful Clean Renewable Energy Bonds from $1.2 billion to $2.25 billion.
In May, Senator Thune hosted a Wind Energy Roundtable in Sioux Falls which focused on developing transmission infrastructure in South Dakota and featured leaders and experts from the Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and leading energy providers.