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per wind turbine during the seven-month study. Another eight-month study was done in 1997 and found that 1.1 birds were killed per turbine. Also, available evidence from the "Interim Report: Bat
Interactions with Wind Turbines at the Buffalo Ridge, Minnesota Wind Resource Area: 2001 Field Season," shows that most bat mortalities caused by wind turbines occur during the fall to migrant and dispersing bats and not to resident breeding populations. It was concluded by this same study that 2.45 to 3.21 bats die per turbine which is lower than the number of bat deaths by
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found that eighty-four to eighty-five percent of the seventy species of birds that live in the
Buffalo Ridge area fly outside the range of the wind turbine blades. During a study conducted in 1996, by Western EcoSystems Technology, it was concluded that an estimated average of 1.4 birds were killed
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to create an avian monitoring program for
Buffalo Ridge. Its primary goals for Buffalo Ridge were to evaluate the risks to avian species by monitoring the wind power development and its effect on the avian species while at the same time using that information to reduce avian mortalities on Buffalo
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The land where the wind farm resides is privately owned farm land. To acquire a piece of this land for the use of wind turbines, the wind developer rents or leases the plot of land from the farmer who owns the land. Small projects, less than two megawatts in size, are offered
72:. This farm consists of 143 Zond Z-750 wind turbines with each turbine standing 257 feet (78 m) high and weighing about 196,000 pounds (89,000 kg). Each 750 kW turbine can deliver the annual electricity needs of approximately 250 homes.
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in
Minnesota. Buffalo Ridge's geography is well suited for wind power and it has been heavily developed for this purpose. The history of modern wind power activity on Buffalo Ridge can be split into four phases of construction.
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In 1994, the first wind farm cluster was built on
Buffalo Ridge, northwest of the town of Lake Benton. This first cluster was built by the Kenetech Corporation and runs northwest to
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90:. This project adds sixty-seven more wind turbines to the Buffalo Ridge wind farm. It also adds turbines to the portion of Buffalo Ridge that is in
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Concerns involved with wind turbines revolve around the affected bird and bat populations that surround the
Buffalo Ridge area. A study featured in
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Mike
Sagrillo,"Interim Report: Bat Interactions with Wind Turbines at the Buffalo Ridge, Minnesota Wind Resource Area: 2001 Field Season",
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Ridge. According to the studies, bird populations are in more danger from humans than from wind turbines.
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began construction of a one hundred and fifty megawatt project called the
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The third phase occurred in mid-1999 and added an additional one hundred
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In 1994, a
Minnesota legislative mandate increased the demand for
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of 1.5 cents per kilowatt-hour for power sold to utilities.
153:"PPM breaks ground on MinnDakota wind farm for Xcel Energy"
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Buildings and structures in
Brookings County, South Dakota
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Large wind farm near Lake Benton, Minnesota, United States
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Buildings and structures in
Lincoln County, Minnesota
173:"Advice from an Expert - Bats and Wind Turbines"
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284:Energy infrastructure completed in 1994
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64:The second phase occurred in 1998 when
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112:The American Midland Naturalist
106:Birds, bats, and wind turbines
92:Brookings County, South Dakota
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128:Western EcoSystems Technolygy
88:MinnDakota Wind Power Project
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299:Wind farms in South Dakota
82:In 2006, PPM Energy and
33:is a large wind farm on
294:Wind farms in Minnesota
234:Renewable energy portal
31:Buffalo Ridge Wind Farm
158:July 24, 2008, at the
39:Lake Benton, Minnesota
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132:Northern States Power
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206:United States portal
121:communication towers
70:Hendricks, Minnesota
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66:Zond Energy Systems
130:was contracted by
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260:44.283°N 96.333°W
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278:Categories
183:2011-04-22
139:References
51:wind power
126:In 1996,
100:subsidies
77:megawatts
156:Archived
251:96°20′W
248:44°17′N
45:History
37:near
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