Wolverine to partner in wind-energy venture

Wolverine Power Cooperative announced it has signed a long-term agreement with Harvest Wind Farm, LLC, to purchase renewable energy from the company?s wind farm, which is planned for construction near Elkton and Pigeon, in the thumb area of Michigan. John Deere Wind Energy is planning to begin construction on the 32-turbine project at the Harvest Wind Farm site in Huron County?s Oliver and Chandler Townships this summer, with commercial operation scheduled for early 2008. Wolverine is purchasing renewable energy from the wind farm for sale to its six member-companies and their retail customers.

?We are thrilled to be involved with John Deere Wind Energy and the Harvest Wind Farm project,? said Eric Baker, president and CEO of Wolverine. ?Wolverine strongly supports the development of clean, renewable energy in Michigan and thus has chosen to make a long-term financial commitment to this project.?

IN ADDITION to the Harvest Wind Farm Project, Wolverine plans to explore other renewable energy projects in the state, including its own development of a wind farm near Rogers City. ?We plan to take what we have learned from the Harvest Wind Farm project and apply it to studying the potential for a wind project near Rogers City,? Baker said. ?Renewable power has an important role to play, along with other technologies available today, in the creation of more balanced and cleaner electric generation in Michigan.?

The proposed wind farm near Rogers City is one component of the Wolverine Clean Energy Venture announced by Wolverine in May 2006. Wolverine is also exploring the feasibility of a state-of-the-art base load, solid fuel power plant at the site. Last year, Wolverine leaders secured an option to purchase approximately 400 acres of previously mined land at the Calcite Plant from O-N Minerals (Michigan) Company. Plans call for the co-op to investigate the feasibility of constructing a base load plant within the confines of the limestone quarry, with an access road off US-23 Business Route near Gilpin Field, and a 10-acre parcel south of the main docks for receiving and handling of waterborne solids. THE MICHIGAN PUBLIC Service Commission (MPSC) called for the need for one or two new base load generating plants in a recent study. The MPSC said that demand for electricity grows each year, yet no new base load plants have been constructed in Michigan in 20 years. The state is a net impor

ter of energy, dependent on other states. When the plans for the power plant were announced, plans called for up to 24 months for additional studies to supplement the initial site plan study. The studies include an endangered species study at the site, and studies to comply with state and local regulations. Some of those studies have begun since the announcement last spring. The initial construction phase calls for the completion of two generating units, with capacity of 500 megawatts. Baker said costs for the two units would be approximately $1 billion. The construction phase would employ several hundred workers.

The Harvest Wind Farm will consist of 32 Vestas V82 wind turbines, each capable of producing 1.65 megawatts of electricity. The total project will be 52.8 megawatts, enough to produce electricity for more than 15,000 homes. More information on the Wolverine Clean Energy Venture is available at www.wolverinecleanenergy.com.