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Renewable Portfolio Standard: More Jobs, More Local Energy Than Keystone XL

Among the numerous impacts the Keystone XL pipeline will have on South Dakota, TransCanada's expansion of tar sands transmission capacity needs a new 76-mile transmission line strung from the Big Bend Dam at Fort Thompson south and west to Highway 18 about ten miles west of Winner:

U.S. State Department, Keystone XL Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, Appendix J, December 29, 2011, Figure 2-1.
U.S. State Department, Keystone XL Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, Appendix J, December 29, 2011, Figure 2-1.

TransCanada needs those power lines to divert Missouri River hydro power to its Keystone XL pumping stations. It also needs a new substation at the dam end on the Lower Brule Reservation and an expansion of the Witten substation at the south end.

In return for diverting renewable energy to push tar sands through our soil, we get a few thousand temporary jobs and 35 permament jobs spread out across the Great Plains.

You know what else would create thousands of temporary jobs and a few permanent energy jobs? The new wind power we'd get if South Dakota required utilities to generate a certain percentage of their power from renewable sources (a Renewable Portfolio Standard, or RPS):

The 160 megawatts is a reference to the study’s finding that states with an RPS realize that much in additional wind capacity development each year compared to states without one.

That would mean more than 3,000 temporary jobs lasting up to a year and 16 new, permanent jobs annually, according to [study authors Ryan] Cwach and [Alex] Baldwin. In addition, those jobs pay 13 percent higher than the median for all jobs in South Dakota [Nathan Johnson, "Yankton Native Helps Author Wind Study," Yankton Press & Dakotan, 2013.03.11].

Note that 160 megawatts refers to how much more wind energy development Cwach says we'd get each year from an RPS just in South Dakota. So with one simple legislative move, South Dakota could get at least as many jobs on an ongoing yearly basis, on projects that would make South Dakota a bigger energy producer rather than a mere host of externalities stretching its own green energy supply to ship foreigners' oil.

6 Comments

  1. AC 2013.03.12

    I worked for the state and I can say that there are some HUGE opportunities for wind energy jobs. Foreign companies are looking at SD (and only SD) and not only want to build wind energy plants, but also to create engineering and technical degrees at SDSU and some tribal colleges to create a task force of highly skilled South Dakota wind energy technicians. But that will only happen IF the legislature gets with the program...

  2. Douglas Wiken 2013.03.12

    Trans-Canada and petroleum partners intend the XL pipeline to increase gasoline prices 10 to 20 cents per
    gallon in the midwest by getting the excess crude out of the midwest. Why South Dakota politicians want us all to pay more for gasoline and diesel fuel is a mystery to me.

    The price increase goal was reported in Bloomberg News based on interviews with Trans-Canada.

    We will also be paying significantly more for electricity because of the electricity demands of the pumping stations.

  3. Jerry 2013.03.12

    So, what happens if someone blows up one of these substations? What is plan B for that? If the line is full of sludge that is standing still, it may mean a real problem.

  4. caheidelberger Post author | 2013.03.12

    Let's get those wind jobs here, AC!

    Douglas, with all that evidence, anyone who says KXL will lower our gas prices needs a good earwash. And I still puzzle at the idea that tying up more of our electricity supply with one project is good for our local energy needs and prices.

    Jerry, the smart terrorist could find all sorts of soft targets in South Dakota. I don't care to trade on extreme scenarios over the obvious disadvantages of KXL, but it does increase our risk of environmental disasters, both accidental and criminally deliberate.

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