Jefferson City, MO. - At an announcement in the State Capitol Tuesday morning, January 31, 2006, Missouri based developer Wind Capital Group, John Deere Wind Energy and the Missouri Rural Electric Cooperatives announced their plans to construct a 50-megawatt wind energy project in King City, MO, 30 miles northeast of St. Joseph. The project will be named "Bluegrass Ridge" in tribute to the farming community's historic role in bluegrass seed harvesting.

"Wind is a clean, renewable source of affordable electricity, which has the added benefit of strengthening rural communities and helping Missouri farmers," said Tom Carnahan, the project developer and president of Wind Capital Group. "I am very proud to be working with Missouri's electric cooperatives and John Deere Wind Energy to bring this first project to our state."

When completed in late 2006, the project will consist of 24, Suzlon S-88 turbines, and will produce enough power for up to 30,000 homes. The electricity will be purchased by Springfield, Mo.-based Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc., and distributed through its network of regional and local rural electric cooperatives.