Minnesota Power seeks 400MW of wind energy. (Credit: ZHANG FENGSHENG on Unsplash)
Minnesota Power, a subsidiary of electric services provider ALLETE, has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for up to 400MW of wind energy to come online by the end of 2027.
According to the company, the RFP forms an important step in advancing its EnergyForward initiative, which aims to achieve 100% carbon-free energy.
As part of its EnergyForward strategy, Minnesota Power seeks cost-effective wind resources that are within the MISO Local Resource Zone 1.
The company is looking for wind resources with direct interconnections to the transmission system and the ability to enter commercial production in 2026 or 2027.
Its RFP aims to maximise the benefits of wind development and federal legislation, including preferences for energy-impacted communities, diverse bidders, and locally sourced materials.
The benefits also include requirements for using local prevailing wages, local labour for construction and permanent staffing, and the development of apprenticeship programmes.
Minnesota Power said that both build-own-transfer and power purchase agreement projects will be considered, with a preference for projects between 100 and 200MW in both categories.
The utility will accept the proposals until 11 April 2024, and appoint an independent third-party evaluator to help screen and review the proposals.
Minnesota Power chief operating officer Josh Skelton said: “The carbon-free future must be sustainable for the climate, customers and communities for everyone to thrive, so we seek projects that will create local jobs, local economic benefits and train people in renewable technologies.
“New wind generation in the Upper Midwest can tap into an excellent wind resource and maximize use of regional transmission assets to deliver renewable energy to our customers and fits well with our portfolio of other energy supply resources to reliably meet customer demands around the clock.”
The RFP follows Minnesota Power’s 2021 Integrated Resource Plan, approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
The plan guides the company to acquire up to 300MW of solar energy that is being evaluated in a separate RFP and 400MW of wind generation.
Minnesota Power said that the procurement of wind power through this RFP will increase its wind portfolio of about 870MW of owned and contracted capacity by nearly 50%.
It also provides customers with more renewable energy that will help the company and state achieve their carbon-free goals in the coming decades, said the Minnesota-based utility.
