BOISE, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 21, 2007--Idaho Governor C. L. "Butch" Otter today signed two bills into law to encourage wind energy development in Idaho. The first, House Bill 130, clears the way for wind farms on state endowment lands. Royalties received from wind power generation will directly benefit Idaho schools. The second, House Bill 189, restructures the method of personal property taxation to ease the burden on Idaho wind farms in the early years of operation. Both bills cleared the legislature without a single dissenting vote.

"We greatly appreciate the support of Governor Otter and legislators in both houses for this important legislation which will facilitate the growth of wind energy in Idaho's rural counties and bring meaningful benefits to landowners and energy consumers," said Rich Rayhill, vice president of Ridgeline Energy, which drafted and carried both bills. "It will help attract new investment capital, bring new wind farms on line sooner, diversify the state's energy base and reduce our reliance on foreign sources of energy."

These bills add to previous renewable energy legislation, also sponsored by Ridgeline, which was enacted in 2005. Ridgeline CEO Stephen Voorhees stated, "These bills reflect Ridgeline's commitment to responsible wind energy development in Idaho and our dedication to effective partnership on energy policy. We believe the potential exists to develop 3,000 megawatts of wind energy in Idaho over the next ten years. This would represent capital investment in excess of five billion dollars and could help Idaho make the transition from a net importer of power to a net exporter. Farmers and ranchers across the state could realize significant income and rural economies could blossom under this development."

In January 2007 Rayhill received Governor Otter's Renewable Energy Award in recognition for his contributions to the growth of wind energy in Idaho.

Ridgeline Energy is a leading developer of renewable energy projects with forty-nine projects under current development in seven western states, including Idaho.

Copyright Business Wire 2007

Ridgeline Energy, LLC

Ridgeline Energy, LLC

Ridgeline identifies, acquires and develops wind energy projects in the northwestern United States. Our regional focus has enabled us to develop a portfolio of wind sites representing more than 3,700 megawatts of potential capacity. We seek ownership positions in new projects to ensure their long-term success and generate superior returns on investment, and work to minimize development risk by pursuing new projects in collaboration with local and industry partners. Our staff has the requisite skills in land management, environmental assessment, community relations, meteorology, public policy, finance and economics to develop world-class utility-scale wind farms.

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