Missouri River Energy Services and its members launch program to develop wind energy projects

Sioux Falls, S.D. -- Missouri River Energy Services (MRES®) along with its 56 members, municipalities in the states of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota has launched a new program aimed at developing wind energy in the region. The program is called RiverWindssm.

The first project under the RiverWindssm program will be the construction of two large wind-powered generators near Worthington, Minn. These wind turbines will begin producing electricity by July of this year.

MRES, headquartered in Sioux Falls, S.D., sells wholesale electricity to its member municipal electric systems. The members all purchase a portion of their electrical needs from the federal government's Western Area Power Administration, which sells power produced at hydroelectric facilities located along the Missouri River.

MRES produces its power mainly at the Laramie River Station, a large coal-fired power plant in Wyoming. The Laramie River Station has the distinction of being one of the cleanest, lowest-cost coal-fired power plants in the nation. The cost of the plant was $1.6 billion, and more than $300 million of that was for environmental control equipment.

"Federal and state incentives will help RiverWindssm develop wind energy projects such as the one near Worthington," said MRES Marketing Director Jeff Peters, "but these incentives are not our only reasons for this development. MRES and our members have a long history of environmental stewardship. Our members get about half of the energy they need from the federal government's hydroelectric plants located along the Missouri River. These plants burn no fuels and produce power simply by using falling water. Even our fossil-fuel plants include state-of-the-art pollution control equipment that allows the plants to exceed federal and state air- and water-quality standards," Peters said.

"We also are participants in a $7.5-million trust fund to protect habitat for endangered whooping cranes and other migratory waterfowl in central Nebraska, "Peters said, "and MRES offers several programs to help our members and their customers use energy efficiently. RiverWindssm is a logical next step in our continuing efforts to bring people the energy they need all the while protecting the environment."

"MRES is working with other members in Iowa and South Dakota in hopes of developing additional wind power under the RiverWindssm banner," Peters said.