Columbus, Neb.-based Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) has chosen Midwest Wind Energy/Edison Mission Midwest to build a wind farm, and possibly another, in central Nebraska.
NPPD's board chose the Midwest Wind Energy/Edison Mission Midwest proposal for a new 80 MW wind farm near Petersburg, Neb., and now the utility needs to negotiate a power-purchase agreement.
Once negotiations have concluded, NPPD would approve final contracts later this year. The facilities would be operational by the end of 2010 or early 2011.
NPPD says it would also be interested in buying power from a second Midwest Wind Energy/Edison Mission wind project near Broken Bow, Neb., if other utilities agree to buy at least half the power output.
NPPD says the Midwest Wind/Edison proposals offered the lowest-cost energy out of any of the 22 wind power proposals from seven developers it received earlier this year.
Midwest Wind Energy/Edison Mission Midwest is planning to use the community-based energy development (C-BED) model for both proposed projects. According to NPPD, the C-BED projects qualify for state sales tax exemptions on wind-generation facility equipment, lowering the costs of construction and continued operation and maintenance.
NPPD is working to have 10% of its power generated from renewable sources, such as wind, by 2020.
Source: Nebraska Public Power District
