High-Capacity, Low-cost Energy
Manufacturers, food processors, biotechnology companies, and many other industrial operations depend upon abundant, reliable electricity and natural gas for success. In today's economy, business owners simply can't afford to lose valuable production time due to outages or system constraints.

That's why Laskin Energy Park is an ideal place to locate and grow energy-intensive businesses. Its proximity and direct connection to Minnesota Power's 110-megawatt Laskin Energy Center in Hoyt Lakes guarantees dependable access to clean, low-cost electricity and competitively priced natural gas.

Electricity
Minnesota Power, an ALLETE company, serves 144,000 customers in northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. About half of the electricity sold goes to large industrial customers, including taconite producers, paper and pulp mills, and pipeline companies. Strategically placed generating plants, such as the Laskin Energy Center and newly acquired Taconite Harbor Energy Center help meet this demand. Their excess capacity can satisfy growing energy needs.

Laskin Energy Park was developed by Minnesota Power and its partners to fuel economic growth on the East Range. It offers tenants the incentive of accessing ample electricity from a cost-effective source:

• High-capacity energy substation
  Power feed up to 20 megawatts at 24,000 volts
• System reliability in excess of 99.9%
• Opportunity to feed power from multiple lines and sources
   - Laskin Energy Center
   - Taconite Harbor Energy Center
• Attractively-priced electricity
• Cogeneration opportunities
• Access to other Minnesota Power/ALLETE services

Natural Gas
In the summer of 2002, a new tap and a 4" distribution pressure main were installed to provide competitively priced natural gas services throughout the park. All natural gas services are provided by People's Natural Gas.

Industrial Steam
Steam is a safe, reliable, efficient, and cost-effective source of energy for large-scale industrial manufacturers, especially pulp and paper mills, food processors, pharmaceutical companies, and other operations that require vast amounts of process heat. The advantages grow with district energy, a closed system in which steam is produced at a centralized location and piped to other facilities in a network.

Laskin Energy Park offers tenants the opportunity to tap into Minnesota Power's industrial steam system at Laskin Energy Center. Companies choosing this service enjoy tremendous benefits:

• Lower operating costs from attractively-priced coal-based steam from Laskin Energy Center
• Reduced capital and maintenance costs from requiring purchase, install, and service for on-site boilers
• Streamlined permitting
• 24/7 staffing and maintenance at Laskin Energy Center
• System reliability in excess of 99.9%
• Steam pressures from 50 psi saturated to 1,100 psi superheated
• Capacity up to 1,100,000 lb./hr.
• Cogeneration opportunities

Minnesota Power has experience serving cogeneration and steam customers with Stora Enso, (Duluth) and UPM Kymmene-Blandin Paper Company (Grand Rapids) and Sappi (Cloquet).