MEAN projects and interests
Power supply
MEAN continues to investigate other power supply resource options to serve the growing needs of its member communities. Some of these options include:- The Gerald T. Whelan Energy Center (WEC) Unit II an expansion of the 77-megawatt, coal-fired WEC Unit I in Hastings, Neb. MEAN formed a joint coalition with seven public power partners in Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming, including Hastings Utilities, for the 220-MW project.
- Investment in 7 megawatts of a wind farm developed by Nebraska Public Power District near Ainsworth, Neb.
- The purchase of 6.67 percent (approximately 53 megawatts) of undivided ownership in the Council Bluffs Energy Center Unit 4, known as CB 4. MEAN is a joint owner of the 790-megawatt, coal-fired steam-generation unit in Council Bluffs, Iowa. In November 2003, the board of directors unanimously approved the issuance of $100 million in Power Supply System Revenue Bonds for CB 4, representing the largest bond issuance in MEAN's history.
- MEAN and seven power supply entities in the Rocky Mountains have studied the feasibility of a nominal 1500-megawatt, coal-fired generation project in Colorado.
Transmission
MEAN continues to monitor the development of a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) in the nation's upper Midwest. The Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO) filed its proposed Energy Markets Tariff (EMT) in 2004. The proposed tariff is based on a pricing model defined as Locational Marginal Pricing. MEAN is not a MISO member and none of MEAN's transmission providers in Nebraska are members of MISO; however, the EMT could have a significant impact on the market area in which MEAN operates.RTO development in the western region of the United States has been almost nonexistent. The slow progress towards RTO development in this area has not adversely affected MEAN's transmission rights or delivery obligations to its members in western Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming.
MEAN is an active member in Mid-Continent Area Power Pool and serves on various committees, including the Regional Transmission Committee. Participation in this organization helps ensure that MEAN stays abreast of the proposed EMT and meets its delivery obligations to its members.