Wisconsin Public Service Corporation has agreed to buy a 99-megawatt wind farm being developed near Riceville for $251 million from developed enXco, an EDF Energies Nouvelles Company based in Paris, France.
    Located near Riceville the Crane Creek Wind Project will consist of 66 GE 1.5 megawatt wind turbines and is expected to generate electricity to provide for the energy needs of approximately 27,000 homes serviced by the Wisconsin utility. The project recently won the approval of Wisconsin state regulators and is now subject to standard Iowa state and local permits.
    EnXco began working with members of the Howard County community in the spring of 2002. They expect to complete the final stage of development  on the wind farm in 2008, with construction beginning in 2009.
    Crane Creek Wind Project will be transferred to Wisconsin Public Service upon completion. The energy generated will help the utility meet Wisconsin’s required regulation of generating 10 percent of all retail electric sales from renewable power by 2015.
    “EnXco is very pleased to be developing and constructing this project for WPSC. This is a culmination of a great cooperative effort by all involved and we look forward to working with the community as we move into the construction phase of the project,” said Steve Peluso, director of the Midwest region for enXco.
    EnXco, Inc., an EDF-EN Company  develops, constructs, operates and manages renewable energy projects throughout the United States. The company’s portfolio includes solar and biomass technologies, in an effort to help drive the nation’s transition to a sustainable energy economy. EnXco is the largest third-party operations and maintenance provider for wind farms in North America.
    Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Integrys Energy Group, Inc. is an investor-owned electric and natural gas utility headquartered in Green Bay, Wis. It serves approximately 420,000 electric customers and 309,000 retail natural gas customers in residential, agricultural, industrial and commercial markets, as well as wholesale customers. The company’s service area includes northeastern and central Wisconsin, as well as the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
    The Crane Creek Wind Project is one of two wind farms which are currently planned to be developed in Howard County. The other, Pioneer Prairie Wind Farm, is owned by Horizon Wind Energy, which plans to begin construction this spring.