Sen. Al Franken, DOE Official to Visit U of M's Wind Turbine in Rosemount

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman will join Sen. Al Franken at the University of Minnesota for events highlighting the Obama Administration’s investments in renewable energy and energy efficient technology Friday. 

Franken will be accompanied by Poneman as well as Robert Jones, Senior Vice President, University of Minnesota, and Tim Mulcahy, Vice President for Research, University of Minnesota for a tour of the wind energy research station in Rosemount. 

The University of Minnesota was one of three university-led research consortia awarded with the Energy Department's wind research grants in 2009. The Department’s grant supports research improving wind turbines and wind farm designs.

According to Jeffrey Marr, associate director of Engineering and Facilities at the University of Minnesota, it cost $5.5 million for the entire construction of the turbine, including the cost of instrumentation and the cost of the turbine itself. Another $2.5 million was spent to fund research projects; in total it cost $8 million, which the university received in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

A was held on Oct. 25, 2011.