From Power outages to power lines energy is in the news a lot these days. It’s not all negative there are some interesting things happening in the next few weeks:
RIDE WITH THE WIND
Here’s an event for the weekend after next that just came in over the wire – RENew’s ‘Ride With The Wind’ bike ride and windfarm tour: 
Sunday October 12, 2003
* Tour the McNeilus Wind Farm featuring NEG Micon turbines in Dodge Center @ 2:30 p.m.
* Bike to and from the wind farm from Northfield, Claremont, Kenyon or West Concord – preregister online, in person from 10:30 a.m. – 12 noon at Northfield High School.
* Go to wind farm in Dodge Center by Biodiesel-powered bus! Must preregister to take the bus – $10.00 fee
* Leaves Buntrock – St Olaf at 1 p.m.
* Leaves Sayles-Hill – Carleton at 1:15 p.m.
* Returns from Dodge Center approx. 4:15 p.m.
If you want more information about beginning your own wind energy project, a new grant program was was recently forwarded by Michael Taylor.
“Notice of Request for Proposals for Community Wind Energy Projects” was published in today’s edition of the State Register. It describes a Community Wind Rebate that will provide rebates of up to $150,000 to community-based wind projects owned by governmental units and nonprofit organizations. The application deadline is November 13, so if you are interested you should begin planning your proposal soon.
Contact:
Mike Taylor
mike.taylor@state.mn.us
Minnesota Department of Commerce, State Energy Office
85 7th Place East, Suite 500
St. Paul, MN 55101
651-296-6830
651-297-7891 (fax)
And here is an announcement from the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA), I was a copresenter at their energy fair last June 
in Custer Wisconsin:
Announcing an opportunity for you to support a grassroots effort to bring solar energy to St. Paul. The system mentioned in the message below will be installed as a part of a MREA installation workshop in October 14-18. Opportunity to Support Community-Based Solar Energy in Minnesota.
In October 2003, the Sunny Side Solar-Electric Project will install a 1-kW photovoltaic system atop the Old Man River Cafe in South St. Paul, MN. We are citizens committed to renewable energy but hindered by the many hurdles homeowners face trying to achieve this goal alone. We recognize that many houses do not have suitable solar exposures, so we instead have identified an ideal solar location and will accomplish together what is so difficult to realize individually. We also believe that a public setting, such as a small, locally-owned business (a popular coffee house, that will host renewable energy education events throughout the year) will expand public interest in renewable energy and serve as a model for similar projects in other neighborhoods and communities. We have raised 93 percent of the funds needed to complete the project this October. Would you like to join the nearly forty citizens so far that have committed $50 or more to realize this one-of-kind project?
For more information, please contact J. Drake Hamilton at 651-726-7562, or Hamilton@me3.org.
If you are ready to act, make a check out to Sunny Side Project, c/o Old Man River Cafe, 879 Smith Avenue South, West St. Paul, MN 55118, for the contribution you are able to make. Your money will be refunded to you if the project goal is not reached by October 15, 2003.
Tehri Parker, Executive Director
Midwest Renewable Energy Association
7558 Deer Rd. Custer, WI 54423
715-592-6595
tehri@the-mrea.org
Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair
June 18-20,2004
Custer, WI