Energizer, Summer 2013

SUMMER 2013

Outdoor safety reminders

• Keep ladders, antennas, long-handled equipment and other conductive objects away from power lines.

• Never use electric tools near water or in the rain.

• Don’t fly kites near electric lines. If kite string gets caught in a power line, leave it alone; don’t try to remove the string from the line. Instead, call Minnesota Power for assistance.

• Never climb a utility pole or a tree that is near electric wires.

• Never enter a substation or fenced enclosure that surrounds electrical equipment.

The fenced-off area is extremely dangerous.

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Energizer News EnergyForward on the move One of Duluth’s hybrid buses is all wrapped up in Minnesota Power’s EnergyForward message. The mobile billboard has been on the streets this summer to encourage people to learn more about the resource strategy that builds on our renewable energy investments and balances our generation mix while preserving reliability, protecting affordability and improving environmental performance.

Go to mnpower.com/energyforward to find out more.

The Larsens’ choice: Air source heat pump Dave and Mary Larsen of Duluth made energy efficiency one of their priorities when they built their home in 2010. That’s why they decided to heat and cool their home with a mix of in-floor radiant heating along with an energy-efficient mini-split ductless air source heat pump.

Repairs continue at a rapid pace at Thomson Energy Center, as Minnesota Power works to restore the 106-year-old hydroelectric plant to operation.

Thomson, on the St. Louis River in Jay Cooke State Park, has been offline since June 2012 when as much as 10 inches of rain fell in the region and sparked flash flooding in some areas and longer-term flooding in others. The power station’s basement was flooded and a portion of an earthen dike at the forebay, a small reservoir that feeds water into the station, gave way. For many days after the flood, access to the powerhouse was only by foot or ATV. Minnesota Power hopes to return Thomson to partial generation by the end of the year and full operation in 2014. MP’s hydroelectric facilities, such as Thomson, are an important part of our EnergyForward resource strategy and how we provide low-cost, renewable energy to our customers.

And they have no regrets.

“This past fall, we used our ASHP for heating and were able to hold off using the in-floor heating system until later in the season. It works beautifully, and we are very happy with the mini-split heating/ cooling system in our home,” Mary Larsen said.

Thomson Energy Center well on its way back a year after historic flood

continued on Page 3 Dave and Mary Larsen.

ASHPs are gaining popularity in cold climates, and Minnesota Power’s Power of One® energy conservation program offers information and special offers. mnpower.com/ashp

The Thomson powerhouse, shown here just days after the June 2012 flood, is expected to return to partial generation later this year.

Published by MP Corporate Communications, Kelley Eldien, Editor | 30 W. Superior Street, Duluth, MN 55802 | mnpower.com

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• Never touch or approach downed power lines. Always assume that downed wires are energized. Call Minnesota Power immediately to report downed wires at 1-800-228-4966.

Introducing a New Tool for Businesses The Business Energy Advisor (BEA) has information targeted by type of business regarding: energy-saving solutions case studies technology-specific resources calculators and more ...

Check it out at

www.mnpower.com/BEA

The Minnesota Power Foundation awarded 46 scholarships totaling more than $100,000 to area high school and college students this spring.

Twenty high school students received $2,500 Community Involvement scholarships in recognition of their dedication to giving back to their communities as well as their good academic record.

Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) Bonus Offer

Twenty-six New Generation Scholarships were awarded to students who will graduate in fields that align with our region’s workforce needs. Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree received $2,500 and those pursuing an associate’s degree received $1,000.

$50 Bonus in addition to the standard per ton GSHP rebate (up to $1,750)

The complete list of recipients is at mnpower.com/company/scholarships.

Visit

www.mnpower.com/GSHP

or call 1-800-677-8423 (option 2) Get the most for your energy dollar by investing in a heating and cooling system that uses energy from the earth.

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46 students receive more than $100,000 in scholarships

Offer extended through December 31, 2013

Thomson improvements underway (continued from Page 1) Thomson has a capacity of 72 megawatts and is the largest hydro facility in MP’s system and in the state of Minnesota.

Planning to restore the powerhouse and rebuild the forebay embankment began in earnest last year after an initial damage assessment and cleanup. Since the flooding, MP officials have attended Thomson city council meetings and other community gatherings to provide updates.

Download our outage app

A major component of the forebay reconstruction is expected to get underway in August. Sheets of steel will be placed into the ground to reinforce almost 3,000 feet of rebuilt earthen embankment.

A concrete spillway also will be installed at the breach site.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the federal agency responsible for dam oversight, is monitoring plans for the forebay repair.

Be prepared in the event of a service interruption by downloading the Minnesota Power outage app. You’ll be able to check on the location of outages and get estimated power restoration times. Download the app or find more outage information at mnpower.com/ outagecenter. Report an outage online or call 1-800-307-6937.

Minnesota Power is also working closely with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Carlton County and Jay Cooke State Park to minimize effects construction will have on area residents and the park and to assist the park in rebuilding trails damaged in

The Foundation also awarded several other scholarships to students attending Itasca Community College, the University of St. Thomas and UMD Engineering.

the area of the forebay.

In addition, at the request of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, fish habitat in the forebay will be improved.

The scope of the projects that need to be completed to bring Thomson online is challenging, and include repairing facilities damaged in the flood, hardening facilities to withstand future significant events and taking advantage of the long-term outage to complete projects that will position Thomson for reliable service for its second century. All improvements are being made in ways that maintain the site’s historical appearance and character.

The reconstruction and improvements, estimated at around $60 million, include replacement of most of the electrical infrastructure, inspection and cleanup of the turbines which sat underwater for several weeks, inspection and refurbishment of the massive pipes which deliver water from the forebay to the plant, replacement and repair of some large valves, replacement of the huge gates which control water flow from the reservoirs, as well as the reconstruction of the bank of the forebay.

An MP employee holds a chick during banding in 2012.

Falcons raise families at Boswell, Hibbard Peregrine falcons are raising their chicks in the nest boxes at Boswell Energy Center in Cohasset and Hibbard Renewable Energy Center in Duluth.

The youngsters hatched later than usual this year—in late May at Boswell and in early June at Hibbard. The nest boxes are more than 200 feet up stacks at the two power plants and are part of a partnership with the Raptor Resource Project in Decorah, Iowa.

Get a peek into their world via our Falcon Cam at mnpower.com/FalconCam. 3