Central Electric Power Cooperative

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Electric Co-Ops to Buy Power from Missouri’s First Wind Farm

Central’s wholesale energy provider, Associated Electric Cooperative Inc., continues to diversify its owned and contracted generation resources, announcing in January 2006 that it will purchase power from Missouri's first utility-scale wind farm. The 50-megawatt "Bluegrass Ridge" wind farm in northwest Missouri is being developed and built by Wind Capital Group and John Deere Wind Energy.

"Associated Electric Cooperative is committed to providing affordable, renewable energy options to our members. We are particularly pleased that the wind energy we are purchasing is harvested in our service area and that this investment will be staying here in our own communities,” said Jim Jura, CEO and general manager of AECI, during a ceremony to announce the wind farm. “Adding wind turbines to the coal, natural gas, oil, hydropower and biomass generating resources we already use will help us improve our ability to fulfill our mission of providing reliable, low-cost electricity to rural electric cooperative members,” he said.

The wind energy project, located near King City, Mo., will include 24, Suzlon S-88 turbines capable of producing enough power for up to 30,000 homes. Construction is expected to begin in early summer with at least 16 turbines operational by the end of 2006.

Central Electric’s Award-Winning Education Programs

Central Electric has been awarded the 2004 Silver Switch Award by the National Food and Energy Council for its demonstrated commitment to education and electrical safety. Working as a team with its eight member cooperatives, Central and its members have developed an effective education program that brings the message of electricity’s value and safe use to schools, youth groups, adult audiences and community organizations. Every year the program reaches out to over 25,000 students and adults through the various programs offered.

Central Generates Green Power in 2003

Central’s Chamois Power Plant produced “green power” in 2003. Due to tornados that damaged the Hammons Products walnut facility in Stockton, Missouri on May 5, 2003, Central was able to purchase a large amount of walnut shells that would otherwise have been disposed of as waste in a local landfill.

Walnut shells are considered a renewable resource and therefore quality as “green power’. These shells were so finely ground that they worked well as a blend with the coal. Our Chamois plant employees were able to develop an efficient method to blend the walnut shell stock into the coal system. This allowed Central to produce 4,825 megawatt hours of “green power”. Shelled corn was also used in a test burn to prove its viability as a biomass fuel.

Environmental Costs

Central's wholesale energy provider, Associated Electric Cooperative, is planning to spend about $468 million to further reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and mercury by 2018. Additional operating costs for the new emissions controls are expected to be about $31 million annually.  These costs will have to be passed on to retail cooperative members in the form of future rate increases.  Although U.S. power plants contribute only 1 percent of the mercury in the air, a large amount of money will be spent to reduce this 1 percent to some fraction of 1 percent.