GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> Eric: WE'LL BE WATCHING.

>> CATHY: THE DEBATE OVER RENEWABLE ENERGY IS HEATING UP IN RURAL MINNESOTA.

MORE SPECIFICALLY, HOW IT'S DONE.

THIS WEEK, SWIFT COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA VOTED DOWN A TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON WIND AND SOLAR PROJECTS.

BUT OTHER COUNTIES SAY THEY NEED MORE TIME TO LOOK AT THEIR ORDINANCES.

REPORTER KAOMI LEE TRAVELED TO MOWER COUNTY TO VISIT A WIND FARM.

S-IT'S TRUE, IT LOOKS A LOT SMALLER FROM -- BUT ONCE YOU GET CLOSE TO IT, IT'S LIKE A PLANE.

>> WE ARE AT RAIRIE STAR WIND FARM IN LEROY, NEAR THE IOWA BORDER.

EACH WIND TURBINE TOWER IS 365 FEET TALL AND WITH 61 OF THEM, THEY'RE HARD TO MISS.

>> SO THE WIND BLOWS AND IT TURNS OUR GENERATORS AND THE GEARBOX AND ALL THAT INSIDE, AND THE ELECTRICITY GOES DOWN THROUGH OUR CABLES AND OUT INTO OUR TRANSMISSION LINES.

>> Reporter: THEY'RE ALSO FAIRLY QUIET.

>> PEOPLE ARE REALLY CONCERNED THEY'LL BE NOISY AND WE'RE OUT HERE TODAY AND MAYBE IF YOU'RE REALLY CLOSE, YOU CAN HEAR A LITTLE WHOOSH BUT MORE YOU'RE HEARING THE WIND PASSING THROUGH.

>> Reporter: PRAIRIE STAR IS A 100 MEGAWATT WIND FARM, IT CAME INTO LIFE OVER 2007 AND OVER ITS LIFETIME, WILL POWER OVER 32,000 HOMES.

IT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL, WITH MORE DEVELOPED ACROSS THE BORDER.

>> WE'RE HEAD SQUAD TIER IN HOUSTON, TEXAS BUT WE HAVE WIND FARMS ACROSS AMERICA.

OUR FISHES ONE CAME IN LINE IN NEW ORK STATE IN 2001 SO WE'VE BEEN DOING IN FOR A WHILE, ONE OF THE TOP FIVE COMPANIES IN NORTH AMERICA.

>> Reporter: A RECENT REPORT PUTS MINNESOTA AS A NATIONAL LEADER IN RENEWABLE ENERGY.

>> ZERO CARBON SOURCES GENERATE AT 54% OF MINNESOTA'S POWER LAST YEAR.

REMAINING THE MAJORITY OF MINNESOTA'S ELECTRICITY FOR THE 4th CONSECUTIVE YEAR.

>> Reporter: THESE PROJECTS CAN BE A WINDFALL FOR LAND OWNERS.

PRAIRIE STAR WIND FARM CONTRACTED 30-YEAR LEASES WITH 100 LAND OWNERS, MORE THAN $9 MILLION HAVE BEEN COLLECTIVELY PALED OUT SO FAR.

>> IT TENDS TO REALLY HELP SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS AND AGRICULTURE BECAUSE AGRICULTURE HAS ITS UPS AND DOWNS ON THE ECONOMICS SIDE OF IT AND WHEN THEY HAD A LEASE WITH A WINDS FARM, THAT STABILIZEs THE MONEY THEY COULD GET ON A REGULAR BASIS.

>> Reporter: MILLIONS HAVE BEEN PALED OUT IN LOCAL AND COUNTY TAXES, TOO, AND THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF OPPORTUNITY.

E -- EDP RENEWABLES IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING ANOTHER WIND FARM PROJECT IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND A PROPOSAL BY XCEL ENERGY FOR A HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINE FROM BECKER TO YON COUNTY IS CURRENTLY UNDER STATE REVIEW.

IS THERE A GOLD RUSH GOING ON?

>> I THINK IN SOME PLACES YES AND SOME PLACES NO.

THE KIND OF RUSH TO CITE CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS IS REALLY DETERMINED ON WHERE TRANSMISSION LINES ARE RIGHT NOW, AND BUILDING NEW TRANSMISSION LINES TO GET TO PLACES.

SO, YES, I THINK WE'RE GOING SEE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF CLEAN ENERGY DEVELOPMENT OVER THE NEXT EVERAL DECADES.

>> Reporter: THE ORGANIZATION ADVOCATES FOR RURAL DEMOCRACY.

THEY SUPPORT THE STATE'S GOAL OF 100% CARBON-FREE ELECTRICITY BY 2040.

>> WE SHOULD ALSO WANT TO CAPITALIZE ON IT IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T JUST DELIVER PROFITS TO SHAREHOLDERS WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE IN MINNESOTA.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT RURAL COMMUNITIES AND MINNESOTANS ARE REAPING AS MUCH OF THE REWARD AS POSSIBLE.

>> Reporter: THAT COULD TAKE THE FORM OF SOMETHING CALLED A COMMUNITY BENEFIT PLAN.

IT'S WHERE RURAL COMMUNITIES AND DEVELOPERS BROKER BENEFITS BEYOND LAND LEASES AND TAX PAYMENTS, SOMETHING LIKE DIRECT PAYMENTS TO SCHOOL PROGRAMS IMPROVING ROADS AND PARKS, AND TESTIFYING DECOMMISSIONED PLANS FOR WHEN LEASES RUN OUT.

>> PEOPLE JUST WANT TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME SAY AND SOME CONTROL OVER THE FUTURE OF THEIR COMMUNITY.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY JUST THE CORE OF THE ISSUE.

>> Reporter: MORE COUNTIES ARE STARTING TO PUMP THE BRAKES.

IN IN FEBRUARY, CHIPPEWA AND BIEBER COUNTIES APPROVED A ONE-YEAR MORATORIUM, ON NEW APPLICATIONS FOR WIND AND SOLAR PROJECTS.

MEEKER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SAY THEY WANTED MORE TIME TO STUDY THE IMPACTS.

>> THERE IS A LOT TO FLUSH OUT, I THINK IS MORE MY FOCUS, SKIES AND SCOPE OF THESE PROJECTS, MEEK HAVE MEEKER RIGHT NOW HAS ABOUT 50 ACRES TOTAL UNDER WHAT I WOULD CALL COMMERCIAL SOLAR GARDENS SO ONE MEGAWATT LESS AND THESE PROPOSALS ARE COMING IN AT THOUSANDS OF ACRES.

>> Reporter: HE'S CONCERNED ABOUT THE LOCAL AG ECONOMY IF PRIME FARMLAND BECOMES LARGE-SCALE SOLAR PARKS.

AND THERE'S THE -- >> VISUAL AESTHETICS.

YOU WAKE UP IN THE KITCHEN AND LOOK OUT YOUR WINDOW AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT 400 ACRES OF SOLAR, OR WIND.

SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THOSE CONCERNS.

>> Reporter: BUT DEVELOPERS OF LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS DON'T NEED APPROVAL FROM LOCAL COMMUNITIES.

THEY CAN GO RIGHT TO THE STATE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION.

JULIE BRETTISON WAS THE SOLE NO VOTE IN THE MIKER COUNTY'S MORATORIUM DECISION.

>> ITS IT'S LIKE PUTTING UP A YOU'RE NOT WELCOME SIGN AT THE BORDER.

IT TIES THE HANDS OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO DO WHAT THEY WANT.

I FEEL THE ESTRICTIONS WE CURRENTLY HAVE ON THE BOOKS ARE MORE THAN EFFICIENT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE