Clean energy developer offering COVID-19 support to Oklahoma school district

Last week, developer ALLETE Clean Energy announced a $50,000 grant
in partnership with GE Renewable Energy and Wanzek to the Mill Creek School
District in Mill Creek, Oklahoma. ALLETE Inc owns ALLETE Clean Energy along
with Minnesota Power and Superior Water, Light and Power of Wisconsin.

The Mill Creek school district will use most of the money to
purchase 70 iPads for students and 16 laptops for teachers. With this grant, as
well as a $33,000 federal grant, the school district can supply all K-12
students and teachers with devices and curriculum they need for remote
learning.

The donation is a relief to Mill Creek School administrators
facing the daunting task of educating students during a pandemic. “These
companies have never been in this school nor have I met their people and they
were so willing to help,” said School Superintendent Lorinda Chancellor. “I
look forward to the day we can meet soon, and I can personally thank them for
this amazing donation. We are so grateful and blessed!”

ALLETE owns and is developing the nearby 303-MW Diamond Spring
wind project, which will supply Walmart, Starbucks and Smithfield Foods with
renewable energy. GE Renewable Energy supplied 112 2.X MW turbines for Diamond
Spring, and Wanzek is the engineering, procurement and construction contractor
at the site

“We have a long tradition at ALLETE Clean Energy of working with
our partners to donate to communities near our wind sites, which deliver clean
energy while also supporting local communities and economies. We saw a timely
grant to equip the school district with the tools it needs to conduct remote
classes, and to keep students and staff safer at home, as the most meaningful
way we could help during COVID-19,” said ALLETE Clean Energy President Allan S.
Rudeck Jr.

Diamond Spring Senior Project Manager Brendon Lamppa, stated, “Part of our planning process is to find creative ways to integrate ourselves into these communities while we are in the area. When the opportunity to partner up with ALLETE Clean Energy to assist a local school in their time of need amidst the current pandemic presented itself, Wanzek was on board without hesitation. Wanzek team members truly believe that leaving a positive and lasting memory that exists long after our departure is of the utmost importance.”