Nice tradeoff...


Xcel Energy Provides $10 Million for Renewable Energy

Xcel Energy announced last week that it chose eight
Minnesota renewable energy projects to receive nearly
$10 million in funding. More than $5 million will fund a
hydropower facility at St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis. The
remaining funds will go toward two projects to convert cow
manure and solid and liquid waste from the corn and pea
canning process into methane for power production, one
project to produce power from methane that is currently
being wasted at a corn processing plant, one rebate program
for grid-connected solar power systems, one solar power
system on the roof of the Science Museum of Minnesota,
one wind turbine installation at a school, and the installation
of six wind turbines of a new design.

The projects are funded by the state's Renewable
Development Fund, to which Xcel Energy must contribute
$500,000 annually for each nuclear-spent-fuel cask stored
outside the Prairie Island nuclear plant after January 1st,
1999. The fund currently amounts to more than $16 million.
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission must approve
Xcel Energy's choice of projects. See the company's press
release at:
<http://www.xcelenergy.com/NewsRelease/newsRelease110501.asp>.