Al Franken: “today I am introducing the Community Wind Act with my friend and colleague Senator Tester from Montana. Rural renewable…”

“today I am introducing the Community Wind Act with my friend and colleague Senator Tester from Montana. Rural renewable energy development has been one of my top priorities since coming to the Senate. America's rural communities have some of our country's most abundant renewable energy resources, and I strongly believe that community-owned renewable energy projects are among the most promising drivers of economic development in our rural communities. Minnesota has a lot of wind. In the past decade, communities across southwestern Minnesota have been transformed by wind power, with turbines producing renewable energy to power homes and businesses across the midwest. These projects are helping Minnesota meet its ambitious goal of obtaining 25 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025. As we look to develop more renewables in Minnesota and across the country, I want to make sure that rural communities are reaping the maximum benefit from these projects. That is why community wind is so powerful. When a wind project has some level of local ownership, studies have shown that the project will have higher local economic impact than conventional projects. That is because profits from the project flow to members in the community. Those profits are then reinvested in the community, fueling economic activity that wouldn't have otherwise happened.…”