Canadian power storage won’t count in Minnesota
Duluth-based Minnesota Power has entered a contract with Manitoba Hydro to help decrease the power company's reliance on coal-based energy sources.
The deal helps Minnesota Power address energy storage problems that arise from renewable sources like wind turbines and solar. Candace Renalls from the Duluth News Tribune explains how it works:
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On days when wind production is high or electric loads are low, electricity produced by Minnesota Power's wind farms in North Dakota will be transmitted to Canada. Manitoba Hydro will absorb the energy into its system in the form of unused water and store it, similar to a rechargeable battery.
It's a good move for the environment, but it won't help the Minnesota company comply with a state mandate to produce a quarter of it's electricity from a renewable energy source by 2025. Canadian hydro power is excluded from that calculation.
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