Generating power
During the next decade we will be challenged to meet our customers' projected 15 percent increase in demand for electricity. Ensuring a brighter and more secure energy future requires a balanced approach that is mindful of our customers' need for reliable electricity that is affordable and environmentally responsible. We're achieving that balance with demand-side management and conservation, renewable resources, plant and operating efficiencies, peaking plants, and prudent baseload generation.
Otter Tail Power Company uses an integrated resources plan (IRP) to determine which new resources will meet customer demand for the least cost. Every two or three years we file our IRP with the regulatory commissions in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Coal and wind energy play two very distinct roles in the electric industry. Wind cannot supplant coal's reliability, and coal cannot match wind's cleanliness. But together, as part of a balanced mix of resources, they bring out each other's best features.
