North Dakota Wind II dedicated October 23

Edgeley, ND--At a ceremony near Kulm and Edgeley today Governor John Hoeven dedicated the state's second largest utility-scale wind farm to the people of North Dakota. Otter Tail Power Company has purchased the 21 megawatts of energy produced by North Dakota Wind II Energy Center that FPL Energy has developed and owns. "We began planning for this day three years ago," Hoeven told the crowd of more than 350 residents, landowners, elected officials, and media representatives. "We put wind energy tax incentives in place to make sure that companies like Otter Tail Power Company and FPL Energy would recognize the advantages of investing here in North Dakota. Today we see the results in this outstanding project."

Otter Tail Power Company President Chuck MacFarlane agreed. "Our mission is to provide low-cost, reliable energy to our customers in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota," MacFarlane said. "We entered into this agreement because the right pieces were in place for this particular project to produce economical energy."

The wind farm site near Kulm encompasses a four-square-mile area adjacent to the state's first utility-scale wind project, also developed by FPL Energy. MacFarlane noted that, with this wind power purchase, about 10 percent of Otter Tail Power Company's total resources come from renewable energy sources. North Dakota Wind II Energy Center's 21 megawatts, together with conservation measures and other new resources, helps Otter Tail Power Company meet its long-term requirements for energy and capacity. It also fits into the company's renewable energy objective requirement for Minnesota.

At the ceremony Michael O'Sullivan, senior vice president of development for FPL Energy, said, "We're delighted to be able to add this North Dakota project to our wind energy portfolio and are eager to continue our relationship with Otter Tail Power Company." He noted that FPL Energy is committed to wind energy. "We would like nothing more than to build more wind farms in North Dakota," O'Sullivan said. "That depends on finding an off-taker to purchase our power, on having sufficient transmission capacity, and on finding the right location," he said.

In a prerecorded message aired during the dinner that followed the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Senator Kent Conrad saluted North Dakota's nearly limitless potential for wind power. "Anyone who has stood on the plains has felt this tremendous force of nature," Senator Conrad said. "To be serious about nurturing a vibrant wind energy sector in this nation, we need to make it easy and cost-effective to invest in projects like the North Dakota Wind II Energy Center, which we are dedicating today."

Senator Byron Dorgan and Congressman Earl Pomeroy joined Conrad on the message from Washington. They applauded local efforts to harness the benefits of wind power. "I want to congratulate Otter Tail Power Company and all the people who have worked to make this new wind farm a reality," said Dorgan. "North Dakota is what the Department of Energy calls, 'the Saudi Arabia of wind.' This project is a wonderful attempt to harness that wind power and make it what it ought to be: an important part of our nation's energy future. We need new, renewable sources of energy in America. FPL Energy, Otter Tail Power Company, and North Dakota are among those leading the way in that important effort."

Congressman Pomeroy added, "The innovation and vision shown by Otter Tail Power Company and our entrepreneurs in the state made the Edgeley-Kulm wind farm a reality. Wind II is just the beginning of what wind power can offer us: affordable, renewable energy for our nation and new high-paying jobs in North Dakota."

FPL Energy is a leading unregulated wholesale generator of clean energy, including natural gas, wind, solar, hydroelectric, and nuclear. It is the nation's leader in wind energy with 36 wind facilities in operation in 14 states. FPL Energy has a generating portfolio of more than 10,000 net megawatts in operation with more than 2,000 megawatts coming from clean and renewable wind energy. It is a subsidiary of FPL Group (NYSE:FPL), one of the nation's largest providers of electricity-related services with annual revenues of more than $9 billion. FPL Group's principal subsidiary is Florida Power and Light Company, one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving more than 4 million customer accounts in Florida. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.fplenergy.com, www.fplgroup.com, and www.fpl.com.

Otter Tail Power Company, a division of Otter Tail Corporation (Nasdaq: OTTR), is headquartered in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. It provides electricity and energy services to nearly a quarter million people in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. To learn more about Otter Tail Power Company visit www.otpco.com. To learn more about Otter Tail Corporation visit www.ottertail.com.