Deere & Adage team up for wood power

Feb. 8, 2010, Olympia, WA – John Deere and Adage LLC, a bioenergy joint venture
formed between Areva and Duke Energy, have announced an alliance to bring
technology and process innovation to the fuel supply for sustainable woody
biomass power projects. This alliance will combine Adage’s technical expertise
with John Deere’s forestry expertise to create a sustainable and reliable
electric power offering to customers in the U.S. Northwest and elsewhere in the
United States. The first project to be developed as part of the alliance will
be Adage’s proposed facility in Mason County, Washington, about 130 km west of
Seattle.

The project involves collecting, bundling, and transporting branches and other wood
debris from regional logging operations to the Adage biomass power facility.
Deere makes all of the forestry equipment used to gather and bundle the wood
debris. Through this and future projects, John Deere and Adage seek to
expand the use of woody biomass and raise public awareness about its promise as
an environmentally sustainable and beneficial energy source.

The Mason County project will deploy Adage's reference plant design, which uses
advanced environmental controls to minimize air emissions and water use. The
proposed 55-MW facility will provide enough power for more than 40,000 homes.
The $250 million initial investment will create more than 400 direct jobs
during construction and more than 100 direct jobs during permanent operation. Adage
plans to begin construction in late 2010.

Adage and John Deere anticipate executing a formal contract later in 2010.