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Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) is taking steps toward a cleaner future and to offset carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions with commitments to three new wind farms. These new projects will increase MGE's wind capacity by nearly eight times—from 11 to 86 megawatts (MW).

The three new projects will come online in late 2007 or 2008 and include:

• MGE Energy will build and own a new 30-MW wind farm in north-central Iowa. The $59 million project will have 18 turbines.
• MGE will buy another 30 MWs through a purchase power agreement from an adjacent wind development in Iowa.
• In addition, MGE signed an agreement to purchase 15 MWs from the Forward Energy wind project near Waupun, Wis.

These new projects will add to MGE's existing renewable capacity from an 11-MW wind farm in northeast Wisconsin.

A portion of the renewable energy will be included in MGE's overall electricity mix. Another portion will be allocated to the company's green pricing program.

MGE customers have indicated that they would like the ability to buy more green energy. MGE's current green pricing program provides about 15,000 megawatt-hours per year of wind energy to about 4,300 customers. We plan to grow the program to at least 45,000 megawatt-hours per year.

Under the expanded green pricing program, a typical MGE residential customer (600 kilowatt-hours/month) will be able to offset all the CO2 emissions from their home electricity use for less than $10 per month.

Last year, MGE announced Energy 2015, a comprehensive and balanced plan that calls for more renewable energy. Energy 2015 will help reduce MGE's CO2 intensities.

As part of Energy 2015, the company will discontinue coal burning at its Blount Generating Station by the end of 2011, which will bring significant emission reductions. MGE also has doubled the use of electricity produced from methane at local landfills. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 20 times more harmful than CO2.

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