Cedar Ridge Wind Farm

Construction is nearing completion at Cedar Ridge Wind Farm in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. On May 9, 2007 Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL), and Alliant Energy Company, received unanimous approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) to build Cedar Ridge Wind Farm in the Towns of Eden and Empire in Fond du Lac County. Ground was officially broken in October 2007, and construction is nearing completion as turbine erection winds down on the 7,800 acre site. Cedar Ridge Wind Farm has 41 turbines that will produce approximately 68 MW of electricity, that’s enough to power about 17,000 homes. Along with the turbines, there will be an Operations and Maintenance Building on site that will be staffed by WPL employees and available for student groups, other groups and even the general public to learn more about Cedar Ridge Wind Farm and wind power in general. Cedar Ridge Wind Farm is expected to become commercially operable by the end of 2008.

In addition to Cedar Ridge, WPL has executed a letter of intent to purchase a 400 MW wind farm site in Freeborn County, Minnesota. The Bent Tree Wind Farm has the potential to produce up to 400 MW of emissions-free energy if completely developed, enough to power up to 100,000 homes. WPL has filed applications in both Wisconsin and Minnesota to develop approximately 200 MW on wind power on the site beginning in 2009. WPL anticipates decisions from the PSCW and the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) on its applications regarding Bent Tree Wind Farm by the end of 2008 or early 2009.

News Releases

October 25, 2007 – Alliant Energy breaks ground on company’s first owned and operated wind farm

July 2, 2007 - Wisconsin Power and Light purchases wind turbines from Vestas

May 17, 2007 - Wisconsin Power and Light waives acceptance of fixed financial parameters for Cedar Ridge Wind Farm

May 9, 2007 – PSCW approves Wisconsin Power and Light Company’s Cedar Ridge Wind Farm project

April 25, 2007 – PSCW establishes fixed financial parameters for Cedar Ridge Wind Farm

September 14, 2006 - Wisconsin Power and Light Company files for regulatory approval and fixed financial parameters for Cedar Ridge Wind Farm

July 21, 2006 - Wisconsin Power and Light Company purchases development rights to Cedar Ridge Wind Farm

Photos

Turbine 17 erection

October 25, 2007 Groundbreaking ceremony

Plant and Facilities Map

Plant and Facilities Map [PDF]

Questions and Answers

Jump to questions about:

Wind Power and Wind Farms
Cedar Ridge Wind Farm
Cost and Economic Impacts
Environment
Project Timeline
WPL’s Generation/Renewable Outlook
Questions and Comments

Wind Power and Wind Farms

What is a wind farm?
A wind farm is a grouping of wind turbines that spin when the wind blows to produce electricity.

Are there other wind farms in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin is home to five currently-operating commercial wind farms, which generate approximately 53 megawatts of electricity. WPL currently purchases 4.5 megawatts of power from the Montfort Wind Farm in Iowa County.

How does a wind turbine work?
A wind turbine uses the power of the wind to generate electricity. The spinning motion of the turbine’s blades turns an electric generator inside the turbine’s casing, which interacts with a magnet to create electrical current.

See a U.S. Department of Energy animation of how a wind turbine works.

How does wind power get to the electric grid?
Typically, electricity generated by the wind passes through the wind turbine’s base and joins electricity from the other wind turbines via an underground system of cables, or collection system. The collection system brings all the electricity to a substation, which loads the electricity onto transmission lines to carry the power over short and long distances to customers.

Do wind turbines use any fuel?
No. Wind turbines operate solely on the wind.

What are wind turbines made of?
The towers are tubular and made of steel. The blades are made of fiberglass-reinforced polyester or wood-epoxy.

How big is a wind turbine?
Wind turbines used for large-scale wind farms like Cedar Ridge come in various sizes, but are usually approximately 13 feet wide at the base, and between 230 and 265 feet tall at the hub. With one of the blades in the upright position, the total height is approximately 406 feet.

What is “capacity factor?”
Capacity factor is one way to measure productivity of a generating source. It compares a generator’s actual production over a period of time with the amount of power the generator could produce if it ran at full capacity for the same amount of time.

What is a typical capacity factor for a wind turbine?
Because the wind does not blow steadily all the time, a capacity factor of 25 to 40 percent is not uncommon for a wind turbine. For the Cedar Ridge site, capacity factor is estimated to be approximately 30 to 35 percent.

What is “availability” or “availability factor?”
Availability factor is one way to measure reliability of a generating source. It refers to the percentage of time a generator is able to generate (that is, not out of service for maintenance or repairs.)

What is a typical availability factor for a wind turbine?
Most modern wind turbines have an availability factor of more than 97%. This is higher than many types of generators, including most power plants.

How long do wind turbines last?
Typical large-scale wind turbines have a life expectancy of 20 to 30 years.

Does wind power cost more than power from a fossil-fuel power plant? Why?
Even though wind is free, wind power typically costs more than power from a fossil-fuel power plant. The additional costs are in the investment, construction, and maintenance of the wind turbines.

However, the cost to generate wind power is falling. According to the American Wind Energy Association, the cost to generate wind power 25 years ago was approximately 30 cents per kilowatt-hour. Today, state-of-the-art wind farms can produce electricity for less than five cents per kilowatt-hour.

Also, as fossil fuel prices rise, wind energy is becoming increasingly competitive with even the least-cost fossil-fuel generation.

In addition, federal production tax credits which are available until at least through 2007 make constructing a new wind farm even more economical.

Why can’t we meet all our electricity needs with wind power?
Because the wind doesn’t blow all the time, it would be unwise to rely on wind power to meet all our electricity needs. Fossil-fuel generation is still the least-cost, most reliable way to meet our electricity needs, but wind plays a big role in offsetting the need for additional fossil fuel generating plants.

Cedar Ridge Wind Farm

When did WPL purchase the development rights to Cedar Ridge Wind Farm?
On July 20, 2006, we exercised an option to purchase the development rights to Cedar Ridge Wind Farm from Midwest Wind Energy, a wind development company in Chicago. Prior to July 20, 2006, Midwest Wind Energy was the owner and developer of Cedar Ridge since 2004.

Why was WPL interested in this site?
We are committed to maintaining our strong renewable presence in the state of Wisconsin. The Cedar Ridge site offers a high capacity factor, which means there is adequate wind in this part of the state to regularly produce electricity for WPL customers.

How much electricity will be generated by Cedar Ridge Wind Farm?
Cedar Ridge is expected to generate approximately 170,000 megawatt-hours of electricity each year, or enough to power as many as 17,000 homes.

Who will receive the power from Cedar Ridge Wind Farm?
The electricity generated at Cedar Ridge will be sent out over the electric grid to reach local or distant areas within Wisconsin where electricity is needed at that time.

How many turbines will there be at Cedar Ridge Wind Farm?
Current plans call for approximately 41 turbines at Cedar Ridge Wind Farm, spread out over 12.2 square miles (7,808 acres.)

Where is the wind farm site and where will the turbines go?
The wind farm site spans portions of the towns of Eden and Empire in Fond du Lac County, about 10 miles south of Fond du Lac. View a map of the site and where the turbines will be located within the site [PDF].

Will my electricity supply depend on the wind blowing?
No. All customers will continue to receive a constant flow of electricity from WPL. As wind-powered electricity is added to the grid, other generators will be turned down or off to maintain the balance.

What is “capacity factor?”
Capacity factor is one way to measure productivity of a generating source. It compares a generator’s actual production over a period of time with the amount of power the generator could produce if it ran at full capacity for the same amount of time.

What is a typical capacity factor for a wind turbine?
Because the wind does not blow steadily all the time, a capacity factor of 25 to 40 percent is not uncommon for a wind turbine. For the Cedar Ridge site, capacity factor is estimated to be approximately 30 to 35 percent.

What type of agreement exists between the landowners and WPL?
Landowners who were willing to host a wind turbine signed lease agreements with Midwest Wind Energy for the use of their land for a wind turbine. WPL adopted the lease agreements with no changes when we assumed ownership of Cedar Ridge. The lease agreement means WPL does not own the land at or near the wind turbine. Rather, the landowner is leasing the land to WPL.

How many years will Cedar Ridge Wind Farm operate?
Cedar Ridge Wind Farm will be in operation for at least 20 years. The lease agreements with the landowners are valid for 20 years. At the end of 20 years, WPL has the option to renew the leases for an additional 10 years. At the end of 30 years, WPL and participating landowners must reach a mutually agreed-upon renewal or termination of the lease agreements.

Who is the manufacturer of the Cedar Ridge Wind Farm turbines?
Vestas Wind Systems is the manufacturer of the 41 wind turbines to be utilized at Cedar Ridge Wind Farm. WPL announced the purchase of the Vestas V82 turbines in July 2007. Each of the 41 turbines are capable of producing 1.65 megawatts of electricity. Vestas has a long history of wind development and has installed over 32,500 wind turbines in more than 60 countries worldwide.

How often will WPL employees be present at Cedar Ridge Wind Farm?
Approximately three full-time staff will be required for the operation of the Cedar Ridge Wind Farm. These employees will be a combination of management, engineering, technicians and administrative staff. A turbine manufacturer’s representative will likely also be on-site for the duration of the turbine warranty period (typically two to five years.)

What type of lighting will need to be around the wind turbines?
There will be no base-level lighting on or around the wind turbines. The only lighting on the wind turbines will be mandatory FAA lighting on the top of the wind turbine to alert aircraft.

Will traffic be affected in any way?
Impacts on local traffic are expected to be minor. The most noticeable impact will be slow-moving vehicles, especially during delivery and construction of the wind turbine components. Once constructed, the wind farm should not create any additional traffic with the exception of occasional maintenance personnel in the area.

Will the wind turbines produce noise?
Wind turbines only produce measurable noise when they are operating, but it is not disruptive to most people in most situations. Per the Joint Development Agreement between WPL and the Towns of Eden and Empire, no Cedar Ridge turbine may exceed 50 decibels from the nearest non-participating landowner’s residence without written permission from the landowner. (Fifty decibels is approximately the volume level of a normal person-to-person conversation.)

Will the landowners still be able to use the land around the wind turbines?
With the exception of a 50’ x 50’ parcel directly surrounding the wind turbine’s base and a narrow access road, landowners will be able to utilize all the land surrounding the wind turbine. Many farm roads can double as access roads, reducing non-usable land even further.

Will new transmission lines be needed?
No. A 138-kilovolt transmission line route runs through the Cedar Ridge site, so no new transmission lines will be needed to connect the wind farm to the electric grid. A substation positioned near the transmission line will transfer the electricity generated from all the wind turbines onto the electric grid.

Will Cedar Ridge Wind Farm cause any radar concerns for FAA?
No known radar concerns have been determined at this time. The FAA is currently evaluating any impacts the wind turbines may have on radar.

Cost and Economic Impacts

What will Cedar Ridge Wind Farm cost?
WPL expected the Cedar Ridge Wind Farm project to cost about $180 million. In May 2007, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission approved WPL’s Certificate of Authority application to construct Cedar Ridge Wind Farm, at an expected cost not to exceed $180 million.

Will Cedar Ridge Wind Farm help the economy in Eden and Empire or Fond du Lac County?
“Shared revenue” payments are made each year to the city, village, or township and the county in which the facility is located. We estimate that the shared revenue payment from Cedar Ridge Wind Farm could generate as much as $400,000 per year for a 99-megawatt wind farm.

Per Wisconsin law, shared revenue would be divided in the following way: one-third of the money would go to the towns of Eden and Empire, and two-thirds to Fond du Lac County. The final shared revenue payment is dependent upon the final capacity of the wind farm (how many megawatt-hours it will generate.)

There are also anticipated increased revenues to local businesses (hotels, restaurants, gas stations, etc.) during the construction phase of the project.

Environment

What are the environmental benefits of wind power?
Wind power benefits the environment because it does not create any emissions or deplete natural resources.

How will Cedar Ridge Wind Farm benefit Wisconsin’s environment?
By offsetting the need for traditional fossil fuel generation, Cedar Ridge Wind Farm will help Wisconsin’s environment. Over 20 years of operation, the wind farm is expected to offset as much as 4.5 million tons of carbon dioxide, 3,500 tons of nitrogen oxides, 6,000 tons of sulfur dioxides, and 50 pounds of mercury. The carbon dioxide avoided is roughly the equivalent of taking 155,000 standard-size automobiles off the road each year.

Will Cedar Ridge Wind Farm harm birds or bats?
The impact of wind farms on birds or bats is mostly determined by flight patterns of birds and bats in the area. Avian studies were completed during the early project planning stages to determine any potential impacts to birds. According to studies by Curry and Kerlinger, L.L.C., “collision risk to birds at the Cedar Ridge Wind Power Project is likely to be minimal.”

The Wisconsin DNR Office of Energy conducted an endangered resources review which found no known bat hibernation areas in the vicinity of the Cedar Ridge site, so impact to bats is also expected to be minimal.

Were any other studies done to evaluate the environmental impact of this project?
In addition to avian studies, a wetland survey and a review of the State Historical Society’s archaeological and historical resources database were completed.

Construction procedures for the wind farm will mitigate the impact on identified wetlands within the project boundary, and no historic buildings will be impacted. WPL will comply with all federal, state and local environmental regulations during the construction and operations phases.

Project Timeline

When will the wind farm be built?
Construction of Cedar Ridge Wind Farm began in September 2007 and is expected to be operational by the end of 2008. View the project timeline [PDF].

Who is managing construction of the wind farm?
WPL will manage the wind farm construction.

WPL’s Generation/Renewable Outlook

What are WPL’s future generation/renewable energy plans in Wisconsin?
Our 2007 – 2015 generation plan calls for an additional 200 megawatts of wind energy to serve its Wisconsin customers by the end of 2009.

We will also continue our other renewable efforts in hydro and biomass energy, as well as our emphasis on energy efficiency through the Shared Savings program.

Finally, we plan to add 300 megawatts of clean-coal generation by 2012 to meet Wisconsin’s growing need for electricity.

What percentage of WPL’s generation capacity is renewables?
With the addition of Cedar Ridge Wind Farm, renewable energy sources will make up approximately five and a half percent of WPL’s total generation.

Will Cedar Ridge Wind Farm help WPL meet its portion of the Wisconsin Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) by 2015?
WPL was a supporter of the RPS, which says 10% of Wisconsin’s power must come from renewable sources by 2015. Cedar Ridge Wind Farm will help us meet our portion of the RPS by 2015.

How can I support Alliant Energy’s renewable energy efforts?
Through our Second Nature program, electric customers can support the growth of renewable energy. Learn more about Second Nature.

Questions and Comments

How can I submit a question or comment about Cedar Ridge Wind Farm?
Email us at news@alliantenergy.com, or mail us at:

Alliant Energy
Attn: Corporate Communications-Cedar Ridge Wind Farm
P.O. Box 77007
Madison, WI 53707-1007.

You may also continue to monitor our project website, www.alliantenergy.com/cedarridge, where we will post the latest updates and information on the Cedar Ridge project.