Grand Opening for Minnesota Power Generation Facility

MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The doors of a new power generation facility in Minnesota were opened to
the public July 27. The Minnesota
Municipal Power Agency (MMPA) with its partner, Avant
Energy, invited area residents to view and explore MMPA’s Shakopee
Energy Park 46 MW natural gas-powered facility.

Shakopee, a community of more than 40,000, is about 20 miles southwest
of Minneapolis. Avant Energy, MMPA’s long-time management partner,
planned, developed and supervised construction of the facility, and now
handles operations management.

Speaking to a crowd of local citizens invited to the grand opening,
Shakopee Mayor Bill Mars said it is “an honor” for Shakopee to be chosen
as the site for MMPA’s power generation facility. Other MMPA-owned power
generation facilities include Faribault
Energy Park, Hometown
BioEnergy in Le Sueur, Oak
Glen Wind Farm near Blooming Prairie and the Minnesota
River Station in Chaska. A solar installation is under development
near Buffalo.

John Crooks, Shakopee Public Utilities Manager and Chairman of the MMPA
Board of Directors, said, “Shakopee Energy Park is part of MMPA’s
commitment to clean, efficient power generation.” Crooks said, “I have
been told that residents did not even know that we were up and running
and we have been operating since February.” The facility uses silencers
on each engine and sound absorbing building materials to prevent noise
from reaching neighboring property.

During the dedication ceremony, Derick Dahlen, President and CEO of
MMPA’s management partner, Avant Energy of Minneapolis said, “Shakopee
Energy Park is good for every MMPA community because it provides power
supply flexibility and protects our members against price volatility in
the marketplace.”

Dahlen also pointed out that in addition to power supply, MMPA supports
its member communities by providing annual educational programming at
its power generation facilities.

During a tour of the power facility, local residents learned some
interesting facts:

• Shakopee Energy Park uses five (9.3 MW) Wartsila engines to produce
  electricity.
• The plant can start up in a few minutes, an important complement to
  renewable generation sources such as wind and solar, which are
  intermittent.
• The facility was constructed in less than a year. Construction was
  completed on time and on budget.
• An advantage to LNG as a back-up fuel is that the generators maintain
  comparable efficiency as when fueled by natural gas.
• Waste heat, captured from the engines, is used to heat the plant and
  could be used by area businesses in the future to support economic
  development.

Shakopee Energy Park is now part of MMPA’s diversified generation
portfolio, featuring both conventional and renewable resources.

More information about energy management firm Avant Energy is
available at www.avantenergy.com.
More information about MMPA is available at www.mmpa.org.
Members include municipal utilities in Anoka, Arlington, Brownton,
Buffalo, Chaska, East Grand Forks, Elk River, Le Sueur, North St. Paul,
Olivia, Shakopee and Winthrop.

Contacts

For Avant Energy:
Bob Rumpza, 612-309-3971
[email protected]