State utilities eye wind farm purchase By Mike Ivey

State utilities eye wind farm purchase
By Mike Ivey - The Capital Times

Madison Gas & Electric and Wisconsin Public Power Inc. of Sun Prairie are teaming up on what would be the largest wind power project east of the Mississippi River.

The utilities announced Friday their intention to buy a combined 60 megawatts of electricity from a wind farm that would be developed near Waupun on high ground east of the Horicon Marsh.

The $78 million Forward Energy Center would be built and operated by Chicago-based Invenergy Wind LLC, which will contract with MGE and WPPI to buy the electricity for their customers. If all approvals fall into place, it could come on line by 2005.

"Our customers continue to tell us renewable energy sources are important to them," Greg Bollom, MGE assistant vice president of energy planning, said in an interview Friday. "This wind power addition really strengthens our commitment to renewables."

MGE has contracted to buy 40 megawatts of power, enough to power about 14,000 homes. With the purchase, about 5 percent of its electricity would come from renewable sources.

MGE already operates an 11-megawatt wind farm in Kewaunee County. It also generates power from solar, landfill gas, and clean-burning coal alternatives.

WPPI, which supplies electricity to 37 municipal utilities in Wisconsin, has contracted for 20 megawatts of wind power from the facility.

"By partnering with another utility we can achieve economies of scale that make wind a cost-effective resource," said WPPI vice president of marketing Tom Paque.

The project would be the second for Invenergy Wind LLC, which has built a 27-megawatt wind farm in Tennessee. The firm is exploring another 25 projects nationwide, said company spokesman Mark Leaman.

Wind projects in Wisconsin have run into local opposition at times because of the size of the towers, which can soar 300 feet or higher. But Leaman said Invenergy has researched the Waupun site and is making efforts to protect the marsh and address local concerns.

"Everyone in this business is cautious because of some of the history, but we picked this site because the response has been very positive," he said.

Another potential problem is the federal government wind tax credits, which expired Dec. 31, 2003, when Congress failed to pass the massive energy bill. Even though many expect the credits will be extended, those involved in the Waupun project say it will go forward regardless.

Wisconsin is currently home to 53 megawatts of wind power, including 30 megawatts at the Montfort wind farm in Iowa County. That electricity is used by customers of Alliant Energy of Madison, which is seeking to add another 100 megawatts of wind power to its portfolio.

Gov. Jim Doyle has been a big supporter of renewable energy, setting a goal of generating 10 percent of total state power from those sources by 2015. About 2 percent of the state's electricity currently comes from renewable sources.

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