Great River Energy issues request for renewable energy proposals, including Community-Based Energy Development (C-BED)

Elk River, Minn. -- Great River Energy is issuing a request for proposals (RFP) today, October 28, 2005, for a total of 120 megawatts (MW) of renewable resources, 20 MW of which calls for Community-Based Energy Development (C-BED) proposals. Depending on cost-competitiveness, up to 120 MW in this RFP could be met with C-BED projects.

Here is copy of the RFP for renewable energy. (pdf file)

Copies are also available by contacting Stan Selander by phone: (763) 241-2446 or email: sselander@grenergy.com. Responses to the RFP are due Friday, December 9, 2005. A nonbinding Notice of Intent to Respond is due on Friday, November 11, 2005

Great River Energy’s plans are contingent upon the extension of the federal renewable energy production tax credit (PTC) throughout this period, sufficient transmission availability, an unconstrained market for wind turbines and skilled labor, and the receipt of C-BED bids that meet the organization’s cost and reliability requirements.

In July, Great River Energy became the first Minnesota utility to announce its commitment to meet the 10 percent Minnesota Renewable Energy Objective (REO) by 2015.

“As Great River Energy works to meet the state’s Renewable Energy Objective, we expect to need about 500 MW of new renewable energy resources including what we will have on line once the Trimont Area Wind Farm is operational later this year,” said Jon Brekke, Great River Energy vice president, member services. “We expect to reach that total with a series of 100 MW RFPs over a period of years. We envision including a meaningful C-BED component in each of those RFPs.”

To qualify as a C-BED project, the wind project’s owner must meet one of the following criteria:

Minnesota Statute 216B.1612 sets a ceiling price, specific ownership requirements and other contractual obligations for qualification as a C-BED project.

“Over the years, Great River Energy has looked for innovative ways to address our member co-op consumers’ interest in renewable energy resources,” Brekke added.

In 1997, Great River Energy and its member cooperatives developed the first voluntary green-pricing program for wind energy in the region. The Wellspring Renewable Wind Energy® program provides co-op members with the opportunity to purchase all or part of their electric needs from renewable energy.

By the end of 2005, Great River Energy and its member cooperatives will begin taking power from the first locally developed, utility-scale wind energy project in the country – the 100 MW Trimont Area Wind Farm in southwestern Minnesota.

“The Trimont project emerged from our RFP process. In a previous RFP for renewables, we included a preference for projects located within our member co-ops’ service areas and owned by local farmers and landowners,” Brekke said.

Great River Energy is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative that is committed to providing reliable, competitively-priced energy to its members. Great River Energy, which serves 28 distribution cooperatives, is one of the fastest growing energy providers in the region and is the second largest wholesale power supplier in the state of Minnesota.

Renewable Energy RFP Contact:

For more information during the RFP process, contact Stan Selander at Great River Energy by phone: (763) 241-2446 or email: sselander@grenergy.com.

More information on C-BED and wind energy can be found at the following websites:

The Minnesota Statute establishing C-BED

The American Wind Energy Association

Windustry, a Minnesota-based wind advocacy group

Community-Based Energy Development

Minnesaota Department of Commerce Energy Info Center