Minnesota Power Builds 25-Megawatt Taconite Ride Windfarm

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Minnesota Power Incorporated, a subsidiary of ALLETE (NYSE:ALE) (Duluth, Minnesota), is in the process of building a 25-megawatt (MW) grassroot windfarm. The Taconite Ridge windfarm is near Mountain Iron, Minnesota, in St. Louis County. Construction on the $50 million windfarm began in mid-September 2007 and is scheduled to begin operation in May 2008.

Minnesota Power is acting as its own general contactor for the project. It selected Clipper Windpower to provide 10 Liberty 2.5-MW wind turbine/generators. Hoover Construction (Virginia, Minnesota) was used for the site preparation and road construction. The foundations and structural erection are being performed by Industrial Maintenance Services Incorporated's (Escanaba, Michigan) Eveleth, Minnesota, office. APi Electric Company (Duluth), a subsidiary of APi Group (St. Paul, Minnesota), is handling the electrical portion of the project. When complete in May 2008, the units will be operated with a staff of three Clipper representatives for the first two years. Operations will then be transferred over to Minnesota Power.

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