Through a new agreement with Avangrid Renewables, Wisconsin-based Dairyland Power Cooperative will begin buying 80 MW of energy from the Barton Wind Farm, located in Kensett, Iowa.
Effective Feb. 15, the power purchase agreement (PPA) is a result of Dairyland’s participation in the National Renewable Cooperative Organization (NRCO): Dairyland is a founding member of NRCO, which is an organization of cooperatives promoting the development of renewable energy.
“The strategic alliance with NRCO brings opportunities to all cooperative members through joint support of renewable energy projects,” says John Carr, Dairyland’s vice president of strategic planning.
Located in north-central Iowa, the 160 MW Barton Wind Farm has been in service since 2009. The cooperative says its 80 MW purchase equals enough renewable energy to power more than 19,000 homes.
Dairyland provides wholesale electricity to 24 member distribution cooperatives and 17 municipal utilities. Its service area encompasses 62 counties in four states (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois).
Last year, the cooperative inked a PPA for the 98 MW Quilt Block Wind Farm, which is under construction in southwest Wisconsin and is expected to come online in late 2017. Dairyland will purchase the entire output of the project from EDP Renewables.
