Purchase gives Wisconsin Power the chance to develop 400MW wind farm
Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL) this week announced the acquisition of the Bent Tree Wind Farm LLC development in Freeborn County along the Iowa border.
The buy comes nearly a year after WPL announced its intention to purchase and develop the southern Minnesota project.
No terms were disclosed for the deal, which follows WPL’s April 2008 letter of intent to acquire the renewable energy development from St. Louis, Mo.-based Wind Capital Group LLC.
When the letter of intent was filed, executives of Wind Capital Group and WPL said developing the first 200-megawatt phase of Bent Tree Wind Farm would cost between $425 million and $475 million.
While WPL and its parent, Madison, Wis.-based Alliant Energy Corporation, announced development of the project’s first phase would be completed by the end of 2010, no decision has been made about scheduling the wind farm’s second 200-megawatt phase.
Steve Schultz, a spokesman for Alliant Energy, said the utility has acquired $500 million worth of Vestas wind turbines to power both phases of the Bent Tree development.
Alliant in 2008 committed to acquiring 303 1.65-megawatt turbines from the Denmark-based turbine manufacturer, which will be used in the company’s Iowa and Minnesota developments.
“We are extremely pleased that the sale has closed and we can focus our attention on completion of development and the start of construction later this year,” Barbara Swan, president of WPL, said in a news release.
The Bent Tree development hinges on regulatory approval from Minnesota and Wisconsin regulatory agencies.
Pending approval, Schultz said WPL plans to start development of the 200-megawatt first phase in mid-2009. The utility, which serves 1 million electric consumers in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin, owns one other wind energy development.
That other wind energy development, the 68-megawatt Cedar Ridge Wind Farm, began commercial operation in Fond du Lac County, Wis., in December 2008.
by Bob Geiger Staff Writer
27 March 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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