The latest earnings report from Otter Tail
Otter Tail has come under heavy fire from environmentalists for a planned coal-fired power plant in South Dakota. Wind energy is a much cleaner and safer power source than coal, and when the company throws its support behind that technology in a big way, it might mollify the critics a bit. That heft is indeed being applied.
About a month ago, Otter Tail and South Florida utilities operator FPL Energy
Management says that DMI will have one of the largest wind-power production capacities on the continent, which isn't bad when you consider its much larger competition, including multinational powerhouses General Electric
Now, Otter Tail won't turn America into a tree-hugging, wind-powered paradise by itself, but it's a good start. And Otter Tail stands to benefit greatly from this very green trend for years to come. DMI is still too small of an operation to count as a reportable segment. (It's lumped in with contract machining, metal parts fabrication, and horticultural containers, among other things.) That might have to change soon, given this operation's increased scale.
Further verdant Foolishness:
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Fool contributor Anders Bylund holds no position in any of the companies discussed here. You can check outAnders' holdings if you like. Foolish disclosure will never leave you twisting in the wind.