April 2004 - Corn Belt Power Cooperative, an Iowa-based generation and transmission entity serving 11 distribution cooperatives and one municipal electric cooperative, is providing wind energy to its member systems. The majority of the distribution co-ops, including Humboldt County REC, Grundy County REC, and Franklin REC, have established programs under which customers can contribute funds to support Corn Belt's 7-MW purchase from the 98-MW Hancock County Wind Energy Center in Iowa. The contributions are used to pay the above-market cost of the wind energy purchase. Any excess revenues collected will be used to support additional development of Iowa-based renewable energy resources.
Two Corn Belt distribution utilities—Butler County REC and Sac County REC—offer a different program through which customers can support the development of local, small wind energy projects by contributing $1.50 each month for 100 kWh of wind energy production. The utilities pay 1.5¢/kWh above avoided cost for wind energy generated from new, customer-owned systems of less than 100 kW in size. To date, about 3% of Butler County's customers have enrolled in the program.
News Article - Corn Belt Power Cooperative to buy wind energy