Alger Delta members in Michigan's central Upper Peninsula will soon receive even more of their electricity from cost-effective renewable energy thanks to a recently announced agreement between Alger Delta's not-for-profit wholesale power supplier, WPPI Energy, and Invenergy. Under the agreement, WPPI Energy will purchase the output from Invenergy's 132-megawatt Bishop Hill III Wind Energy Center.

"This highly cost-effective resource is an excellent addition to our utility's power supply, says Tom Harrell, CEO at Alger Delta. "When Bishop Hill III comes online in 2018, we will more than double the amount of energy we receive from wind resources, and our power supply will be more than 40 percent emission-free."

The wind energy center, which will be constructed in Henry County, Illinois, is expected to begin commercial operation in 2018. WPPI Energy will purchase the electricity from Bishop Hill III through mid-2040 in order to serve its 51 member utilities across Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and Iowa, including Alger Delta Cooperative.

"We project that Bishop Hill III will be more cost-effective than other opportunities currently available to meet our members' long-term needs," said Mike Peters, president and CEO of WPPI Energy.

The addition of Bishop Hill III will bring the portion of Alger Delta's total power supply that comes from renewable resources to more than 20 percent of their total power supply. The agreement represents WPPI Energy's largest renewable energy purchase to date.

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