physics

Renewable energy in South Dakota

Renewable energy in South Dakota is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Renewable energy in South Dakota rather than just read about it. In short: Renewable energy in South Dakota involves production of biofuels and generation of electricity from renewable sources of energy such as wind and hydropower. South Dakota is among the states with the highest percentage of electricity generation from renewable resources, typically over 70 percent.

Key takeaways

Renewable energy in South Dakota belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Renewable energy in South Dakota to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Renewable energy in South Dakota from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Renewable energy in South Dakota involves production of biofuels and generation of electricity from renewable sources of energy such as wind and hydropower. South Dakota is among the states with the highest percentage of electricity generation from renewable resources, typically over 70 percent. In 2011, South Dakota became the first U.S. state to have at least 20% of its electricity generation come from wind power, and by 2022, 84% of its generation was renewable (mostly wind power).

Biofuel production

Ethanol fuel Partially lying within the Corn Belt, South Dakota is a leading producer of ethanol fuel from corn. As of December, 2011, South Dakota had 15 ethanol plants with a combined production capacity of over 1 billion U.S. gallons (3.8 million cubic meters) annually. Sioux Falls is home to POET, one of the world's largest producers of ethanol. Ethanol plants in South Dakota used 291 million U.S. bushels (10.3 million cubic meters) of corn in 2009.

Biodiesel South Dakota grows soybeans and other oil seed crops and has one biodiesel plant. Midwest Biodiesel Producers, located in Alexandria, is not in operation as of 2011 because the economics are not currently profitable. A type of corn oil suitable for use as a feedstock to biodiesel plants is now being extracted from byproducts of ethanol fuel production at several of POET's plants.

Electrical power generation

Hydroelectric power Four dams on the Missouri River generate the bulk of South Dakota's hydropower. Hydropower is the main source of electricity generation in South Dakota. These dams are Gavins Point Dam near Yankton, the Fort Randall Dam near Pickstown, the Big Bend Dam near Fort Thompson, and the Oahe Dam near Pierre. They have generating capacities of 44 MW, 320 MW, 293 MW, and 786 MW.

Wind power

Electricity generated from wind power constitutes about a quarter of total generation in South Dakota. South Dakota has 583 turbines with a total capacity of 977 megawatts (MW) of wind generation capacity. Although this is not a large capacity compared with other states, because little electrical power is generated in the state and the high capacity factor, this amount still allows South Dakota to be a leading state in terms of the percentage of electricity generation. Estimates from the U.S. Department of Energy, EERE indicate that over 800,000 MW of wind capacity could be installed in South Dakota. Further expansion of wind power in the state is currently limited by lack of transmission capacity. A line from near Brookings to southeastern Minnesota, expected to be completed in 2015, should help alleviate the problem. The capacity factor of South Dakota's wind turbine fleet reached 42.9 percent in 2012, this was the highest reported percentage in the country. Titan Wind Project is a project with 25 MW of generating capacity, but has a proposed expansion to 5050 MW. The Tatanka Wind Farm is on the North Dakota border, with 88.5 MW in South Dakota.

Solar photovoltaic

As of the end of 2015, South Dakota had less than 250 kilowatts of grid connected photovoltaic capacity. The state is ranked 14th in the country in solar power potential.

Renewable portfolio standard South Dakota legislation enacted a voluntary goal of 10% electrical generation from renewable energy sources by 2015.

See also List of U.S. states by electricity production from renewable sources

References

External links

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Renewable energy in South Dakota

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Renewable energy in South Dakota claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Renewable energy in South Dakota before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Renewable energy in South Dakota ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Renewable energy in South Dakota

In research: Renewable energy in South Dakota appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Renewable energy in South Dakota in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Renewable energy in South Dakota is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Economy of South Dakota, Energy in South Dakota, Renewable energy in the United States, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Renewable energy in South Dakota outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Renewable energy in South Dakota” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Renewable energy in South Dakota in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Renewable energy in South Dakota means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Renewable energy in South Dakota out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Renewable energy in South Dakota in simple terms?

Why does Renewable energy in South Dakota matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Renewable energy in South Dakota?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Renewable energy in South Dakota.