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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Wednesday, October 15, 1997
HOUSTON -- Enron Wind Corp. (EWC), an Enron Renewable Energy Corp. subsidiary,
announced today that it has acquired the assets of Tacke Windtechnik GmbH, the world's fifth
largest wind turbine manufacturer in 1996.
"Tacke has an established, well-respected technology and we look forward to combining
our skills and expertise to provide new avenues for cost-effective wind power generation," said
Kenneth C. Karas, chairman and CEO of EWC.
With over 100 years of experience in gearbox manufacturing, Tacke began developing
wind turbines in 1984, and in 1990 established Tacke Windtechnik GmbH. Tacke has installed
over 600 wind turbines, primarily in Germany. Its new 1.5 MW wind turbine is among the first
commercially available machines of this size class on the market. Future marketing efforts will
include large-scale offshore installations.
EWC also announced the formation of a new German subsidiary, Enron Wind Holding
GmbH, with responsibility for wind turbine manufacturing and sales for Europe, India, the
Middle East and North Africa.
"Wind power, with its competitive costs and significant environmental benefits, is
becoming widely accepted as a viable energy source, particularly in Europe," Karas said. "Enron
Wind Holding GmbH has been formed to strengthen Enron's position in this important market."
Finn Hansen, technical director of EWC's wind turbine manufacturing entity, Zond
Energy Systems, Inc., has been named managing director of Enron Wind Holding GmbH. Prior
to joining Zond, Hansen, who has more than 20 years of experience in the wind industry, served
as managing director for two of the largest wind turbine manufacturers in the world.
The Tacke assets will be acquired through two newly created Enron Wind Holding
GmbH subsidiaries: Tacke Windenergie GmbH, a manufacturing and sales entity; and, Tacke
Service GmbH, a maintenance provider.
Enron Wind Corp. is a pioneer and leader in the wind power industry. EWC, a vertically
integrated wind company, plans, constructs, finances and operates wind power facilities
worldwide and manufactures state-of-the-art wind turbine technology. The California-based
company has constructed more than 2,500 wind turbines comprising 260 MW of capacity.
Enron Corp., one of the world's largest integrated natural gas and electricity companies
with approximately $19 billion in assets, operates one of the largest natural gas transmission
systems in the world; is the largest purchaser and marketer of natural gas and the largest non-
regulated marketer of electricity in North America; is a leading participant in liberalized energy
markets in the United Kingdom and the Nordic Countries; markets natural gas liquids
worldwide; manages the largest portfolio of fixed-price natural gas risk management contracts in
the world; is among the leading entities arranging new capital to the energy industry; owns a
majority interest in Enron Oil & Gas Company, one of the largest independent (non-integrated)
exploration and production companies in the United States; owns a majority interest in Enron
Global Power & Pipelines L.L.C., which is owner and manager of operating power plants and
natural gas pipelines around the world; is one of the largest independent developers and
producers of electricity in the world; and is a major supplier of solar and wind renewable energy
worldwide. Enron's internet address is www.enron.com and its common stock is traded under the
ticker symbol "ENE."
For additional information please contact:
Carol Hensley
(713) 853-6498
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