The Omaha Public Power District has received 12 proposals that would help the publicly-owned utility increase it's production of electricity through wind power.

Last Friday, October 10th was the deadline for interested parties to submit plans to OPPD. It would like to enter into an agreement to purchase the power, with the electricity flowing onto the grid no later than 2010.

Any project or projects selected could substantially increase the district's wind energy resources. Right now the utility owns its own wind turbine with the capacity of just 0.66 megawatts (MW). It also has a power purchase agreement for 10 MW from a wind farm near Ainsworth, Nebraska.

In its request for proposals, OPPD indicated an interest in projects that could generate up to 80 MW. No decision can be made until the district conducts a thorough evaluation of the proposals. Even so, with the proper proposals, OPPD could enter into an agreement for wind-generated electricity by next April.

OPPD says its customers have voiced support for using more renewable resources like wind to generate the increasing amounts of electricity they are requiring.