Finding that wind power provides their customers and business with financial benefits rather than increased costs, Nodak Electric Cooperative announced that they have dropped their green pricing premium altogether for the 650 customers who signed up to purchase renewable energy.

Nodak Electric’s President and CEO, George Berg, said “In recent years, the average cost of power from the market has been on a steady rise. This has caused the ‘average value’ of wind-generated power to be greater… it was determined that the subscription charge could be eliminated. Those Nodak members who have been paying a little extra for renewable energy are no longer being charged the added subscription price.” Berg added that, based on the experience so far, it may be wise to build more wind generation in the near future.

The two-turbine, 1.8 MW wind energy project was developed in 2002 by the Minnkota Power Cooperative, a generation and transmission cooperative that supplies electricity to 11 distribution cooperatives in Minnesota and North Dakota including Nodak Electric. Minnkota has lowered the premium charged for its Infinity Wind Energy program several times over the years, most recently from 1.5¢/kWh to 0.5¢/kWh. Nodak Electric is now abosorbing that 0.5¢/kWh premium throughout its entire rate base.

More

• New Rules Project’s section on Green Citizenship vs. Green Pricing

• Minnkota Power Cooperative
• Nodak Electric Cooperative
• DOE’s Green PowerNetwork