Minnesota Power to Buy All Wind Energy from Two New C-BED Facilities

Energy Resource, May 1, 2007

ENERGY RESOURCE-1 May 2007-Minnesota Power to Buy All Wind Energy from Two New C-BED Facilities(C)2007 JeraOne - http://www.jeraone.com

Minnesota Power, an ALLETE company, has agreed to the 20-year purchase of all of the energy and capacity from two Community Based Energy Development (C-BED) wind generation facilities proposed to be built in west-central Minnesota.

The projects, in Todd and Otter Tail counties, will utilize 2.5 megawatt (MW) turbines--the largest ever erected in Minnesota. The initiative represents the first C-BED projects undertaken by Minnesota Power. Passed by the Minnesota Legislature in 2005, C-BED is a statewide directive intended to encourage investment in community wind energy projects.

The turbines are manufactured by Nordex, a German-based company with nearly 3,000 wind turbines in service worldwide and more than 20 years of experience in the wind energy industry. Each of its N90 turbines will spin atop a 260-foot-tall tower and feature a 295-foot wingspan.

The site of the proposed facilities is within Minnesota Power's electric service territory near Hewitt, Minn. Barnesville, Minn.-based Bear Creek Wind Partners, LLC will build, own and operate the turbines. Developers expect the initial Nordex turbine to be operational in June 2007.

After implementation of the initial Nordex turbine, 12 additional turbines will be installed resulting in a wind development with a total installed capacity of 32.5 MW, which is expected to operational by the end of 2008.

Since 2005 Minnesota Power has contracted to purchase all the wind energy and associated capacity from approximately 130 megawatts of wind projects to serve its customers. Most recently, Minnesota Power issued a February 2007 Resource Request soliciting peaking and baseload proposals, as well as renewable (wind, biomass, hydro) proposals of 20 MW to 200 MW which are due May 1, 2007.

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