The Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (MMPA) has expanded its portfolio of renewable resources to include power from the Black Oak Getty Wind Farm, a 78 MW project located in Stearns County, Minn.
MMPA signed a long-term contract with Sempra U.S. Gas & Power for the output of the wind farm. The project, comprising 39 turbines, entered commercial operations in December.
MMPA provides wholesale electricity to its member communities, who in turn deliver and sell that electricity to the residential and business customers in their communities. The agency is made up of municipal utilities in Anoka, Arlington, Brownton, Buffalo, Chaska, East Grand Forks, Elk River, Le Sueur, North St. Paul, Olivia, Shakopee and Winthrop.
The agency’s renewable energy portfolio also includes 44 MW of wind energy from the Oak Glen Wind Farm, 8 MW of bioenergy from Hometown BioEnergy and renewable energy purchases from other utilities.
“MMPA’s renewable energy investments support the agency’s ability to deliver competitively priced power to its members,” comments Oncu Er, vice president of planning for Avant Energy, MMPA’s management partner. “In addition, a portion of these renewable resources help us meet the Minnesota renewable energy standard, which requires 25 percent of the agency’s energy to come from renewable sources by 2025.”
