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17 April 2006 -- Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WP&L), an Alliant Energy Company, announced new details of its utility supply plan for the 2006-2013 time period. The supply plan reflects increased growth in demand and the need to increase both baseload generation and wind generation resources to meet the growing energy needs of WP&L's customers.
"Electricity demand in our service territories has grown on average about 3 percent per year, and we expect this growth rate to continue," said Barb Swan, WP&L President. "The plan we've developed to meet this growing demand is balanced and will keep our rates competitive."
The plan, originally announced last August, called for the addition of 250 MW of baseload generation and 100 MW of wind. To achieve maximum economies of scale with chosen technology, WP&L has increased the size of the baseload plant to 300 MW. The company has also added an additional 200 MW of wind generation to the plan. The wind generation may be owned or purchased by the company.
Wind Farm Ownership Details
WP&L has entered into an option-to-purchase agreement with Midwest Wind Energy (MWE) for development rights to the Cedar Ridge Wind Farm, which is located in the Towns of Eden and Empire, approximately eight miles southeast of Fond du Lac, Wis. WP&L will decide by July 31, 2006 whether it will take ownership of Cedar Ridge Wind Farm. Since 2004, MWE has been procuring necessary entitlements, permits, leases and other development rights to allow for the construction and operation of approximately 40 wind turbines. WP&L is actively evaluating the site and MWE's remaining development activities. If WP&L decides to purchase the Cedar Ridge Wind Farm site, the company expects the wind farm will be fully operational by the end of 2007 and have a total nameplate capacity ranging from 80 to 99 MW.
The company is also actively pursuing additional wind purchase power agreements and ownership opportunities in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota for WP&L customers.
Baseload Plant Details
After a thorough review of the transmission impacts on potential sites, the company plans to locate an additional unit at one of two existing baseload generating sites: Nelson Dewey Generating Station in Cassville, Wis., or Columbia Energy Center located in the Town of Pacific, near Portage, Wis. Wisconsin law requires a utility to propose alternatives in order to give the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin a choice of sites. The company's preferred option is to expand generation capacity at the current Nelson Dewey Generating Station by adding a 300 MW circulating fluidized bed unit to the two existing coal fired units. The alternative option is to build a subcritical pulverized coal unit near two existing coal fired units at the Columbia Energy Center.
Preliminary transmission studies, conducted by the American Transmission Company (ATC), concluded an additional unit at Nelson Dewey would have a significant positive impact on the transmission system. According to the report, because of its unique location in the transmission system, an additional unit at Nelson Dewey has the potential to increase the import capability into the state of Wisconsin by 400 to 600 MW. Currently, Wisconsin's import capability is limited to approximately 1900 MW. Additional studies are currently underway by ATC.
Source: WP&L
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