Great River Energy files resource plan: will not wait for deregulation to build new generation
Elk River, MN (February 1, 2001) - Great River Energy has informed state regulators it will plan its addition of new electric generation resources on a market basis, but will not wait for full deregulation to ensure an adequate and reliable supply of electricity for its current and future customers.
Great River Energy made the statement today as it filed its 2001 Resource Plan with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. The plan analyzes the future electricity needs of Great River’s approximately 520,000 retail accounts in Minnesota and Wisconsin through 2021. The document outlines what resources are currently available to Great River Energy and how the company will consider new resources for the future.
“Great River Energy supports the recent recommendation to improve state energy planning and streamlining siting and permitting processes in Minnesota to allow for more timely construction of new facilities,” says Rick Lancaster, vice president, public affairs. “However, we feel full deregulation of the electric industry is not necessary in order to provide an adequate, reliable and cost efficient supply of electricity for Minnesotans. We’re an electric cooperative, owned by the customers we serve-they are now and always will be our first consideration.”
Great River Energy’s plan identifies the need to add nearly 1,300 MW of capacity over the forecast period to satisfy an increase of energy usage at an average annual rate of 2.9 percent per year. Approximately 500 MW of new resources are needed by 2010. New resources would likely come from gas-fired peaking or intermediate resources and coal-fired baseload resources. This is in addition to the nearly 1,000 MW of gas-fired combustion turbine peaking capacity Great River Energy is currently building and purchasing in southern Minnesota and which are due to begin serving customers in June, 2001.
Great River Energy will also continue its successful programs of demand side management and conservation by:
1. Obtaining an additional 224 MW reduction of the summer peak demand through growth in existing demand-side management (DSM) programs. Great River Energy’s current DSM programs have an impact equal to a 387 MW power plant;
2. Evaluating the impact of energy efficiency program(s) to conserve energy and reduce load;
3. Evaluating the feasibility of distributed generation including the use of fuel cells and microturbines;
4. Expanding its portfolio of renewable resources to meet Great River Energy’s retail customers’ demand for those resources. Great River Energy plans to triple the size of its popular Wellspring Wind Energy Program in 2001.
Headquartered in Elk River, Minn., Great River Energy is a not-for-profit generation and transmission electric cooperative providing wholesale electric energy and related services to 29 distribution cooperatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin serving 1.2 million people. Great River Energy is the second largest utility in Minnesota, in terms of generating capacity, and the fifth largest utility of its type in the United States.
