A 2.5 megawatt turbine in Rosemount will provide power for the grid and a full-scale testing ground for new technology. 3M is already planning to test a new innovation: a thin film that puts tiny ribs on the turbine blades. Researchers believe the ribs will reduce resistance and increase performance.

Several landowners have sent letters of termination to AWA Goodhue Wind. One of their concerns is the possible effect the turbines could have on wildlife. One Rochester resident says the turbines could disrupt the flight paths of migratory eagles and endanger the birds.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals will allow an Orono man to keep his residential wind turbine that city officials say violates the zoning ordinance. The turbine is not as large as those seen in rural Minnesota and Iowa, homeowner Jay Nygard's machine is a vertical-axis turbine about 20 feet high.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is advising AWA Goodhue Wind to apply for a permit that would reduce its liability if any eagles are killed by the spinning turbines of its planned wind farm. Without a permit, a second offense could cost the company half-a-million dollars.