“We are very pleased with the PSCW’s decision today,” said Barbara Swan, president-WPL. “The development of the Bent Tree Wind Farm is a crucial step for our company as we continue down the path to a greener future. We are committed to finding emissions-free sources of energy to complement our existing baseload generation as part of our overall mission to provide reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible power to our customers.”
WPL has also filed Site Permit and Certificate of Need applications with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) and a route permit application with Freeborn County. A decision on these applications is expected later this summer.
“The addition of Bent Tree to our wind portfolio helps pave the way for WPL to provide 12% of our retail energy supply from renewable energy sources by 2012,” adds Swan. The Bent Tree Wind Farm will be WPL’s second fully owned and operated wind project. Cedar Ridge Wind Farm, a 68 MW wind farm in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, began commercial operation in December 2008.
