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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
"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,
The wind energy project, located
near
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
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
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