Contact:

Frank Maisano
Bracewell & Giulliani, LLP
(202) 828-5864

David Friend
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
US Wind Force, LLC
(724) 832-1709

Shawn Hall
Manager, External Communications
NewPage Corporation
(937) 242-9373 

For Immediate Release - March 17, 2009 US Wind Force Files Application for Siting Certificate with the West Virginia Public Service Commission for Pinnacle Wind Farm at NewPage (PDF Available Here)

GREENSBURG, PA - March 17, 2009 - US Wind Force, LLC, has filed an application for a Siting Certificate with the Public Service Commission (PSC) of West Virginia for its proposed Mineral County wind project. (Application Available Here)

The "Pinnacle Wind Farm at NewPage" is comprised of 23 turbines planned for Green Mountain, near Keyser. The turbines will generate approximately 55 megawatts—169 million-kilowatt hours annually—of energy. This translates to enough power for over 14,000 households annually. The cost to construct the project is estimated at $131 million. Property taxes generated in Mineral County are projected at $429,000 annually, placing it among the County’s largest taxpayers. The company also plans to establish a community benefit fund that will provide locally controlled financial resources for community projects. Taxes, lease payments, and the community benefit fund will average $1.5 million per year over the first 25 years of operation, with most of it staying in West Virginia.

"This project offers Mineral County and its residents economic benefit that begins with construction and continues for the life of the project. $304,000 of the $429,000 average annual property tax revenue will go to the local school system and its students, for a total of more than $7.6 million over 25 years. The remaining money can be used to fund other services through the County’s budget – things like emergency services. These are new dollars to the county’s revenue stream that can positively affect the future of the county," said Dave McAnally, US Wind Force Chairman and CEO. "Additionally, the community benefit fund will be locally directed and will be used to fund community-based projects."

NewPage Corporation, the largest coated paper manufacturer in North America, is partnering with US Wind Force on this project. Six of the turbines will be located on NewPage property adjacent to the company’s Luke, Maryland facility. "NewPage is proud to partner strategically with US Wind Force, especially during a time when our country is facing significant energy challenges. This partnership is an example of our commitment to support the growth of sustainable energy and is consistent with our goal to continuously explore renewable energy opportunities for our facilities," said David Bonistall, vice president, Environmental, Health and Safety for NewPage.

As part of the project planning, the company established a Community Advisory Panel (CAP) to create ongoing dialogue with community members from Keyser, New Creek, Piedmont, and Elk Garden. Members continue to meet monthly to discuss the project and its progress. In addition to meeting with CAP members, US Wind Force has met frequently with local civic and service organizations in Mineral County and has conducted four project open houses.

To learn more about the Pinnacle Project, please visit the Web site www.uswindforce.com. Project area residents may stop by one of the community information repositories located at the Keyser Public Library, the Elk Garden Community School, and the Piedmont Public Library. A toll-free project line, 1-866-929-4429, is available to anyone with questions about the project.

US Wind Force, LLC, based in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, is a privately held developer of utility-scale wind energy projects. It develops projects through a joint development arrangement with Edison Mission Group (EMG) based in Irvine, California. EMG manages the competitive power generation business of Edison International, an electric power generator and distributor, and an investor in infrastructure and renewable energy projects. The company currently has a portfolio of approximately 1,200 megawatts of wind power capacity, either in operation or under construction, at 25 projects in nine states, including Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Wyoming and a development pipeline of potential wind projects of approximately 5,000 megawatts.