Dairyland Power Cooperative Ceasing Operation at Three Alma Units

LA CROSSE, Wis., Dec. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As Dairyland Power Cooperative marks 70 years of operation this month, the cooperative is announcing it will cease burning coal in three vintage 1950s units of the Alma Station on Dec. 31, 2011. This move aligns with Dairyland's generation resource plans that include the continued addition of renewable resources.

Alma 1, 2 and 3 are part of the 181 megawatt (MW) Alma Station, located in Alma, Wis. Together, the three units have about 60 MW of generating capacity. They account for about 5 percent of Dairyland's total generating capacity, but generated only 0.4 percent (four-tenths of 1 percent) of Dairyland's energy resources through October of this year. Effective Jan. 1, 2012, these units will only be available on an emergency basis. (The two other Alma Station units 4 and 5 total about 120 MW of capacity and will continue to provide energy for the Dairyland system.)

"It is certainly difficult to make decisions that impact employees; therefore Dairyland has made every

effort to minimize the impact on their livelihood," said Bill Berg, President and CEO. "The closing of

these units will eliminate 12 positions; however, we are in the position to offer almost all of the impacted employees the opportunity to transfer to other vacant positions within our cooperative."

With headquarters in La Crosse, Wis., Dairyland provides wholesale electricity to 25 member distribution cooperatives and 16 municipal utilities in four states (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois). Dairyland's generation resources include coal, natural gas, hydro, wind, landfill gas, biomass, solar and animal waste. For more information, visit www.dairynet.com.

SOURCE Dairyland Power Cooperative