From don.wichert@DOA.STATE.WI.US Sat Aug 30 18:33:34 2003
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 13:46:04 -0500
From: "Wichert, Don" 
To: BIOENERGY@LISTSERV.REPP.ORG
Subject: [BIOENERGY] We Energies Biomass RFP

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MILWAUKEE - We Energies has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for up to
25 megawatts of electricity from "biomass" technologies. Biomass
technologies include organic materials such as agricultural manure, food
processing waste, bio-waste, brewery residues, organic sludge, and crops
grown specifically for energy production purposes.
"We believe that biomass is a promising renewable resource that can provide
electricity for our customers. Biomass is a way to generate electricity
using Wisconsin-based resources. This is good home grown electricity," said
Patrick Keily, renewable energy project manager for We Energies.
Through this RFP, We Energies is encouraging developers, farm operators, and
other businesses to propose projects that could result in a contract to sell
electricity to We Energies from biomass generating sources beginning as
early as next year. Contracts resulting from these proposals will be for a
term of up to 20 years. Proposals received by November 26, 2003, will be
evaluated for a short list of qualified projects selected for in-depth
evaluation.
We Energies prefers proposals for biomass-generated electricity using
anaerobic digestion. However, projects using municipal sludge, paper mill
sludge, and agricultural animal waste, and using direct-fired, co-fired, or
gasified processes will be considered. According to Keily, the company also
is interested in encouraging the development of new biomass generation
technologies and resources. "We will strongly consider new and innovative
methods of biomass generation in the review of the proposed projects," he
said.
We Energies has set an aggressive target of at least five percent of its
retail electric energy sales to come from renewable energy sources by 2011.
Biomass energy development will play a significant role in helping the
company reach its target, and comes on the heals of the company's recent
announcement of 20-year power purchase agreements with two developers for
the entire electricity output of three wind farms planned to be built in
Wisconsin over the next two years.
Additional information related to this RFP can be found at
http://www.we-energies.com/biomass_RFP.htm
<http://www.we-energies.com/biomass_RFP.htm>
We Energies serves more than one million electric customers in Wisconsin and
Michigan's Upper Peninsula and more than 980,000 natural gas customers in
Wisconsin. We Energies is the trade name of Wisconsin Electric Power Company
and Wisconsin Gas Company, the principal utility subsidiaries of Wisconsin
Energy Corporation (NYSE: WEC). Visit the We Energies Web site at
www.we-energies.com. Learn more about Wisconsin Energy Corporation by
visiting www.WisconsinEnergy.com

Don Wichert, P.E.
Chief, Energy Resources Section
Manager, Renewable Energy Programs
Wisconsin Division of Energy