NPPD to retire aging wind turbines in Springview

COLUMBUS -- After nearly 10 years of operation, the two 750-kilowatt wind turbines at the Springview Wind Energy Facility will be retired. Following the decision Friday by the NPPD Board of Directors to retire and sell the units, the statewide utility plans to continue research into new wind technologies utilizing the existing site and adding additional wind-powered energy to its Ainsworth facility.

The twin turbines at Springview, which began operation in 1998, were a demonstration project to verify turbine technology available at that time and to prove the efficiency and reliability of wind energy at distribution voltages in Nebraska. NPPD and its public power partners, Lincoln Electric System, Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN), City of Grand Island, City of Auburn, and KBR Public Power District jointly decided that the facility had reached a point that the turbines should be retired.

Lack of available replacement parts, significant maintenance issues as the units aged, and the opportunity to demonstrate new technology, were the prime reasons for the decision to retire the units at Springview.

NPPD and several of its partners have discussed and are considering installation of two 900-kilowatt, new-technology, direct-drive turbines at the Springview site. If approved by the participants, work is expected to begin in January 2008 with an estimated completion date of June 2009. NPPD solicited proposals for the removal of the existing turbines with the Board approving a bid from FPL Energy LLC of Juno Beach, Fla. The proceeds could be used to fund a portion of the purchase and construction of the two new turbines.

Ron Asche, NPPD President and CEO, explained that by progressing forward with Springview as a research site, NPPD continues its role in wind-powered development for Nebraska and its exploration of renewable energy options for the future. "Selling the existing units that have become obsolete is a good business decision for our customers and it is a great window of opportunity to move toward new wind turbine technology," Asche added.

"NPPD's Board and management remain committed to wind energy," Asche continued. "Nebraska has significant potential for wind-powered energy development and the Springview facility remains valuable as a demonstration site to continue our research into new wind technologies."

NPPD owns and operates the Ainsworth Wind Energy Facility, Nebraska's largest wind-powered energy facility, which has 36 turbines providing 60 megawatts of energy, and is pursuing an additional 15-megawatts of energy.

NPPD will also be releasing a request for proposal to add up to an additional 100 megawatts of wind-powered energy from Community Based Energy Development (C-BED) or other privately-owned projects.