Murray County, situated in the southwestern corner of Minnesota, is no stranger to wind energy. Wind turbines have become a familiar part of the landscape, the county has used revenue to improve local infrastructure, and many landowners have received an additional stream of income from hosting a turbine. Still, more wind development is planned in the area and residents will be impacted in new ways. More turbines will continue to change the agricultural landscape, the distribution of tax revenue may shift, and landowner leasing opportunities could change as turbines grow taller and more efficient.
The Murray County Energy Dialogue, which ran from February 20-22, 2020, brought community members together to discuss those perspectives as they relate to wind energy and determine what they would like to see in their county’s future.
The Process
18 participants were randomly selected from a pool of Murray County residents to reflect the demographic makeup of the county in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, education, political affiliation, and more.
Over the two and a half days, participants studied the energy system in detail, identified benefits and drawbacks of expanded wind development in Murray County, and made a recommendation about expanded wind development to their community.
Presentations included:
- Energy Overview & How Development Happens: Jessi Wyatt & Jenna Greene, Great Plains Institute
- Murray County Finances & Decision-making: Jean Christoffels & Heidi Winter, Murray County
- Economic Resilience & Wind Development: Dennis Welgraven, Murray County
- Quality of Life, Design Guidelines, & Wind Development: Mark Lennox, NextEra Energy
Download the materials below:
- Wind Energy Production Tax handout
- Economic Benefits, Drawbacks & Mitigations as identified by participants
- Quality of Life Benefits, Drawbacks & Mitigations as identified by participants
Recommendations
By the end of the event, participants had identified opportunities and priorities for Murray County’s energy future. Participants were also asked to answer the question, “Based on what you’ve learned through this experience, do you feel residents should support expanded/future wind development efforts/projects in Murray County?”
Here’s how they voted:
Yes, under most circumstances/whenever possible—33% (6 votes)
Yes, but only if certain conditions are met/put in place—66% (12 votes)
No, not under any circumstances—0% (0 votes)
In a statement to their neighbors about the event, they wrote:
Download the final reportWe hope to see expanded wind development, and believe that it will be an overall benefit to the community if we acknowledge the challenges in our policy and ensure that our permitting reflects those considerations.
