News | Energy Efficiency

http://www.newenergyworldnetwork.com/renewable-energy-news/by-technology/wind/edison-mission-energy-set-to-deliver-tenth-wind-energy-project-next-year.html

Edison Mission Group (EMG), a subsidiary of NYSE-listed global power group Edison International, has started construction on its tenth wind project, which is based in Minnesota.

The 30MW Community Wind North project in the south-west part of the state is due to be finished midway through 2011.
All energy produced from the project will be sold under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to Xcel Energy’s Northern States power company.
The initial developer of the project, Community Energy Developer, first began work on it in 2003 and has since been jointly developed by Southwest Wind Consulting and Lincoln County Enterprise Development.
It is located around six miles west of Lake Benton in Lincoln County and incorporates 12 Clipper wind turbines, each with a capacity of 2.5MW.
It has received grant funding from the US Department of Agriculture and the PPA has been approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
‘We developed one of our first wind energy projects in Minnesota over ten years ago and are pleased to once again partner with local investors to expand our wind portfolio in the region where we entered the renewable business,’ said Ron Litzinger, CEO of EMG.
Joint project developer Southwest Wind Consulting’s president Wayne Hess said that the project will provide tax relief in the form of production tax revenue on the power produced to the state.
Vince Robinson, executive director of Lincoln County Enterprise Development, said, ‘One of our primary goals is to see that more of the development is accomplished through local initiatives with local investors. This project is a major step in that direction.’
The Community Wind North project has 150 local investors and 15 landowners receive compensation for land leases.
The project represents a total investment of $58m and is slated to pay $28m in taxes and fees to the local and state economies over the next 20 years.
Edison Mission Group is the seventh largest developer of wind energy projects in the US with a current portfolio of 29 projects in operation or under construction totaling 1.8GW.