Washington, D.C. —  Senator John Thune announced today that he will be hosting a Wind Energy Roundtable on Monday, May 14, 2007 at 1:00 PM CT in the Fontenelle Room at the Sheraton Hotel in Sioux Falls.

"South Dakota could and should be a national leader in producing electricity harnessed through our abundant wind supply, but until now, our state has lacked the necessary infrastructure to fully develop this industry. I am looking forward to hearing the discussion about the future of wind energy production and related transmission issues," said Thune. "Over the past month I have been meeting with officials from the energy sector, wind experts, and touring parts of the state where there seems to be an endless supply of wind. I look forward to hearing from the panelists Monday at this forum as I move forward to develop additional legislative initiatives to help South Dakota become a leader in wind energy production. "

Senator Thune recently introduced the Wind Energy Development Act in the Senate, which would provide tax credits and economic incentives that would encourage the construction and expansion of wind farms in South Dakota and across the country.

Details of the program are as follows:

WHEN: 1:00 PM CT, Monday, May 14, 2007
EVENT: Wind Energy Roundtable
WHERE: Fontenelle Room, Sheraton Hotel, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
PANELISTS: Brad Barton, Director of Commercialization, U.S. Department of Energy;
Brian Parsons, Wind Applications Project Manager, National Renewable Energy Laboratory;
Laura McCarten, Co-Executive Director CapX Transmission Initiative, Xcel Energy;
Beth Soholt, Director, Wind on the Wires;
Lloyd Linke, Watertown Operations Manager,
Western Area Power Administration (Western)