CLEAN GRID ALLIANCE FNA WIND ON THE WIRES
570 ASBURY STREET NO 201, ST PAUL, MN 55104 www.cleangridalliance.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: OUR MISSION IS TO ADVANCE RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THE MIDWEST BY APPLYING TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AND BUILDING SUPPORT TO EXPAND MARKETS. WE FOCUS ON EDUCATING KEY DECISION MAKERS THROUGH TECHNICAL, COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA WORK, AND PUBLIC OUTREACH. CGA BRINGS THE BEST OF ITS ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY TO CAPTURE RENEWABLE ENERGY OPPORTUNITIES: VISIONARY THINKING AND DOING, CONTINUED GROWTH IN TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, STRONG WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE WIND, SOLAR AND ENERGY STORAGE INDUSTRIES, AN UNDERSTANDING OF STATE-BY-STATE REGULATORY AND POLICY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES. CGA WORKS TO INTERCONNECT RENEWABLE ENERGY TO PROVIDE LOCAL ECONOMIC BENEFITS AND TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS.

ADVANCE RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THE MIDWEST BY APPLYING TECHNICAL EXPERTISE & BUILDING SUPPORT TO EXPAND CLEAN ENERGY MARKETS

PUBLIC EDUCATION. TO HELP REACH THE POINT OF BROAD ACCEPTANCE OF RENEWABLES, ONGOING PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH IS CRITICAL. CGA STRIVES TO BE THE 'GO-TO' SOURCE OF RELIABLE, FACT-BASED INFORMATION ABOUT RENEWABLES IN THE MIDWEST. SPECIFICALLY, CGA:-WE CREATED A DEDICATED WEBPAGE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE CARDINAL-HICKORY CREEK (CHC) TRANSMISSION LINE IN WISCONSIN THAT IS NEEDED TO DELIVER ELECTRICITY GENERATED BY WIND AND SOLAR FARMS IN A MULTI-STATE AREA. THE WEBPAGE RECEIVED 447 PAGEVIEWS, 2,906 IMPRESSIONS, AND A 15% CLICK-THROUGH RATE. WE ALSO SUPPORTED THE CHC TRANSMISSION LINE WITH BLOG POSTS, A PRESS RELEASE, 6 PUBLISHED LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, SEVERAL SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEOS, A RADIO INTERVIEW, FACT SHEET, AND A PRESS CONFERENCE. -THE CGA WEBSITE RECEIVED MORE THAN 49,000 PAGEVIEWS AND 19,393 NEW USERS IN 2019.-CGA WROTE A "CLARION CALL!" ARTICLE THAT EXPLAINS THE TRANSMISSION CONSTRAINT PROBLEM THAT IS HAMPERING RENEWABLES DEVELOPMENT IN SEVERAL MISO WEST STATES. CGA HAD 5 INTERVIEWS WITH TRADE PRESS PUBLICATIONS AND THE ARTICLE WAS WIDELY USED AND CITED BY NGO COLLEAGUE ORGANIZATIONS TO ILLUSTRATE A SEVERE BOTTLENECK IN DEVELOPING WIND AND SOLAR IN NORTH AND SOUTH DAKOTA, MINNESOTA, IOWA AND WISCONSIN. -SUBSCRIBERS TO OUR CHAMPIONS EXTERNAL NEWSLETTER GREW 38% IN 2019. -CGA PUBLISHED 120 PIECES OF CONTENT THROUGH BLOGS, LTES, AND EARNED MEDIA. OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS GREW 12% ON TWITTER, AND 12% ON FACEBOOK. THE AVERAGE TWITTER IMPRESSIONS WERE 31,000 PER MONTH.-WE CONTINUED USING NONPROFIT MEGAPHONE (NPM) TO ADMINISTER THE NONPROFIT GOOGLE ADWORDS PROGRAM. RESULTS FOR THE PROGRAM HAVE DELIVERED:-87,741 AD IMPRESSIONS -INCREASED TRAFFIC TO OUR WEBSITE BY 36% -MORE THAN 8,100 CLICK-THROUGHS TO OUR WEBSITE, A 290% INCREASE OVER 2018-69% OF FACT SHEET DOWNLOADS CAME FROM GOOGLE ADWORDS-79% OF PROJECT MAP PAGE VISITS WERE FROM GOOGLE ADWORDS-17% OF BLOG VISITS WERE FROM GOOGLE ADWORDS-REALIZED MORE THAN $28,000 IN ADS COVERED BY THE GRANT-VISITORS TO THE CGA BLOG GREW 22% AND CGA PUBLISHED 21 ARTICLES TO OUR BLOG THIS YEAR. THE TOP 5 BLOGS INCLUDE:-EVERY REMARKABLE WAY WIND IS PIONEERING RURAL AMERICA'S BRIGHT FUTURE - 449 PAGEVIEWS,-WHAT MIDWESTERN UTILITIES ARE SAYING ABOUT CLEAN ENERGY - 391 PAGEVIEWS-MULTIPLE GROUPS SUPPORT CARDINAL-HICKORY CREEK - 384 PAGEVIEWS-CLARION CALL! -312 PAGEVIEWS AND WAS SHARED ON 5 OTHER LINKEDIN PAGES. THIS WAS ALSO THE BLOG THAT RECEIVED THE MOST IMPRESSIONS FOR THE YEAR, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS PUBLISHED IN NOVEMBER. -PLENTY OF LAND TO GO AROUND - 258 PAGEVIEWSORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY. CGA CONTINUES TO ATTRACT NEW MEMBERS AND ROBUST PARTICIPATION FROM BOTH NEW AND EXISTING MEMBERS. CGA STAFF IS CONTINUALLY WORKING WITH BOTH NGO AND FOR-PROFIT MEMBERS TO CREATE EFFECTIVE WAYS TO APPROACH OUR WORK AND ALIGN PRIORITIES IN THE CGA FOOTPRINT. SPECIFICALLY, CGA:-ADDED SIX NEW MEMBERS IN 2019: GLIDE PATH, DIRECT CONNECT, SAVION, GOOGLE, FIRST SOLAR, ORSTED-REMAINED WELL GOVERNED THROUGH OUR 16-MEMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS. CGA RECEIVED ANOTHER "CLEAN" AUDIT FOR OPERATING YEAR 2019.-CGA RAISED $940,400 FROM PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY IN 2019: MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION, ENERGY FOUNDATION, TURNER FOUNDATION, CAROLYN FOUNDATION-ADDITIONAL FUNDING WAS RECEIVED FROM THE AMERICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION AND WIND SOLAR ASSOCIATION TO COORDINATE EFFORTS ON WORK RELATED TO MISO AND STATE POLICY.

TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION IS VITAL TO OUR MISSION OF DEVELOPING RENEWABLES AND REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS. EXPANDING THE DEPLOYMENT AND INTEGRATION OF COST EFFECTIVE RENEWABLES ON THE GRID INCLUDES PARTICIPATING IN STAKEHOLDER PROCESSES AND ADVOCATING FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY AT THE MIDCONTINENT INDEPENDENT SYSTEM OPERATOR (MISO - REGIONAL "GRID" OPERATOR), STIMULATING MARKET CONDITIONS THAT SUPPORT OR ENHANCE THE USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY ACROSS THE MISO FOOTPRINT, AND ACTIVATING OUR MEMBERS TO STRATEGIZE AND PARTICIPATE IN THE TRANSMISSION PLANNING, CREATING NEW MARKET RULES, AND ADDRESSING OPERATIONS ISSUES AT MISO. SPECIFICALLY, CGA: -MET WITH COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF FROM MN, IA, WI, IN, MO, MS, MI, SD, AND THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS TO DISCUSS MARKET ISSUES IN MISO RELATED TO THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE POWER MARKETS OF THE FUTURE REPORT AUTHORED BY THE WIND SOLAR ALLIANCE. OUR FOCUS WAS ON THE NEED TO CREATE OR ADJUST MARKET PRODUCTS OR STRUCTURES TO FACILITATE THE CHANGING RESOURCE MIX IN THE MISO FOOTPRINT. WE URGED CREATION OF A SEASONABLE CAPACITY CONSTRUCT (WHICH MISO IS ALREADY EXPLORING UNDER THE RAN EFFORT), SUPPORT FOR THE RIIA STUDY, AND THE NEED FOR HOLISTIC TRANSMISSION PLANNING THAT ADDRESSES PLANNING FOR RELIABILITY NEED, AN ECONOMIC MARKET, AND MEETING PUBLIC POLICY GOALS AND REQUIREMENTS, AS WELL AS GENERATOR INTERCONNECTION ISSUES. -CALLED ATTENTION TO THE LACK OF TRANSMISSION CAPACITY THAT IS HAMPERING DEVELOPMENT IN SEVERAL MISO WEST STATES BY PITCHING A BLOG ENTITLED, CLARION CALL! SUCCESS HAS BROUGHT US TO THE LIMITS OF THE CURRENT TRANSMISSION SYSTEM TO SEVERAL TRADE PUBLICATIONS. BY YEAR-END, WE HAD 5 REQUESTS FOR INTERVIEWS WITH CGA STAFF, AND 2 PRINT ARTICLES IN TRADE PUBLICATIONS. THE BLOG CREATED SIGNIFICANT BUZZ AMONG UTILITIES, CORPORATE AND INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS, STATE REGULATORS AND CGA MEMBERS. THE BLOG REVEALED THE SEVERITY OF THE LACK OF TRANSMISSION CAPACITY IN THE MISO WEST FOOTPRINT, AND THE SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE EFFECT SUCH CONSTRAINTS PLACE ON THE VIABILITY OF RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS. -PERSUADED MISO AND STAKEHOLDERS TO INCREASE THE RENEWABLE ENERGY PENETRATION IN MTEP20 BY 5% IN EACH FUTURE.

STATE POLICY. THROUGH STATE POLICY WORK, OUR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE IS TO STIMULATE MARKET CONDITIONS THAT CREATE A DEMAND FOR RENEWABLES AND SUPPORT OR ENHANCE THE USE OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES THROUGH POLICY INITIATIVES AT STATE LEGISLATURES. SPECIFICALLY, CGA: ENJOYED 18 LEGISLATIVE WINS. WE WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY FIGHT SEVERAL ANTI-WIND BILLS REGARDING SITING, SETBACKS, AND MORATORIUMS IN A COUPLE OF OUR STATES. IN ADDITION, WE WERE ABLE TO ADVANCE A NUMBER OF TECHNICAL BILLS THAT CREATE A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR CLEAN ENERGY, LIKE REPEALING ANTI-WIND ORDINANCES IN INDIANA, BEGINNING ENERGY STORAGE PILOTS AND INCLUDING STORAGE IN RESOURCE PLANNING IN MINNESOTA, PASSING AN ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION BILL IN NORTH DAKOTA, AND REGULATORY REFORM IN SOUTH DAKOTA. ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:INDIANA:-ESTABLISHED AN INFORMAL PROCESS TO COORDINATE WIND DEVELOPMENT WITH MILITARY BASES IN INDIANA; AVOIDING LEGISLATION AND A STATE COORDINATION PROCESS THAT DUPLICATES EXISTING DOD AND FAA PROCESSES.-SUCCESSFULLY DEFEATED THREE ANTI-WIND BILLS FILED IN THE 2019 INDIANA LEGISLATIVE SESSION.-SUCCESSFULLY SUPPORTED INDIANA SB 535, WHICH STRENGTHENS COUNTY GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY OVER COUNTY PROPERTY WITHIN 4 MILES OF A MUNICIPAL BOUNDARY AND PREVENTING A MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT FROM ENACTING ORDINANCES REGULATING DEVELOPMENT (PROHIBITING WIND DEVELOPMENT) WITHIN THAT 4-MILE ZONE.IOWA:-DEFEATED A BILL (SF 361) IN COMMITTEE THAT WOULD HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED THE DISTANCE TURBINES COULD BE SITED FROM ANY DWELLING OR NON-PARTICIPATING LANDOWNER. MINNESOTA:-STOPPED A BILL (SF 848) FROM RECEIVING A HEARING THAT WOULD HAVE EFFECTIVELY CREATED A MORATORIUM ON NEW WIND DEPLOYMENT IN THE STATE.-DEFEATED A PREVAILING WAGE REQUIREMENT THAT WOULD HAVE DRAMATICALLY INCREASED THE COST AND COMPETITIVENESS OF DEVELOPING PROJECTS IN MINNESOTA.-AIDED IN PASSING A BILL (SF 100) INTO LAW REQUIRING UTILITIES TO CONSIDER STORAGE IN THEIR RESOURCE PLANS.-BUILT A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH ORGANIZED LABOR INCLUDING HELPING FACILITATE AGREEMENTS WITH MEMBER COMPANIES.-BROKERED AN HISTORIC SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH XCEL ENERGY, ORGANIZED LABOR AND SEVERAL NGO COLLEAGUE ORGANIZATIONS TO BUILD 3,000 MW OF SOLAR BY 2030.-ATTENDED 25 MEETINGS WITH LEGISLATORS, INCLUDING A BRIEFING WITH CONGRESSMAN PHILIPS' CONGRESSIONAL STAFF REGARDING THE EMERGING ISSUE OF TRANSMISSION CONSTRAINTS.NORTH DAKOTA: -SUCCESSFULLY DEFEATED HB 1167 ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE. THIS WIND SETBACK BILL WOULD HAVE TRIPLED THE DISTANCE A TURBINE CAN BE PLACED NEAR A NON-PARTICIPATING LANDOWNER. -PASSED LEGISLATION THAT PROHIBITED THE STATE FROM REQUIRING DEVELOPERS TO PAY FOR THE MITIGATION OF LAND DISRUPTED BY WIND FARMS. -CONVENED A FIRST-EVER PUBLIC MEETING BETWEEN THE WIND INDUSTRY AND THE PSC TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND DISCUSS ISSUES FACING WIND DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH DAKOTA.-FACILITATED THE WIND (WIND INDUSTRY OF NORTH DAKOTA) COALITION AT THE LEGISLATURE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMITTEE PROCESS ON VARIOUS ISSUES. SOUTH DAKOTA:-LEAD THE RESPONSE EFFORT THAT SUCCESSFULLY PERSUADED GOV. NOEM TO RETAIN THE STATE'S REINVESTMENT PAYMENT PROGRAM FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS-DEFEATED A WIND SETBACK BILL (SB 1226) IN COMMITTEE THAT WOULD HAVE INCREASED SETBACKS FROM ANY PROPERTY LINE TO 1,500 FT.-PASSED A BILL THAT STREAMLINED THE INFORMATION REQUIRED AS PART OF THE REGULATORY PROCESS IN EXCHANGE FOR AN INCREASE IN THE PERMIT TIMELINE FROM SIX MONTHS TO NINE MONTHS.-1.4 GIGAWATTS OF WIND PERMITS ISSUED IN 2019.RULES & LAW. ADVOCACY AND PARTICIPATION AT STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES ARE A VITAL COMPONENT OF THE WORK CGA DOES TO ADVANCE OUR MISSION. WE PARTICIPATE AND ADVOCATE THROUGH TESTIMONY AND COMMENTS IN STATE REGULATORY PROCESSES AND AT MISO, AS WELL AS ENGAGE IN ELECTRIC UTILITY INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLANNING (IRP) CASES. SPECIFICALLY, CGA:-CGA SUCCESSFULLY SUPPORTED THE GRAIN BELT EXPRESS PROJECT'S APPROVAL AFTER THE MISSOURI SUPREME COURT'S REMAND TO THE MISSOURI PSC.-SECURED APPROVAL FROM THE PSC OF WISCONSIN FOR THE CARDINAL-HICKORY CREEK TRANSMISSION LINE.

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