MIDWEST ENERGY RESOURCES COMPANY (MERC)

Midwest Energy Resources Company (MERC) is your means of access to a full range of competitive rail, vessel, and truck transportation options in delivering your western coal from the mines to your end-users. These transportation options, coupled with our state-of-the-art coal blending and transshipment terminal facility located in Superior, Wisconsin, combine to provide you with a highly competitive fuel delivery mechanism.

MERC Benefits to End-Users:

• Competitive rail access to western coal mines
• Supply of aluminum bodied railcars
• Large capacity on-site terminal coal storage
• Coal blending services for up to three (3) dissimilar quality coals simultaneously
• Access to low-cost Great Lakes vessel bulk transportation
• Access to competitive regional trucking transportation
• Combustion engineering, material handling, dust control and dust suppression consultation services included at no charge with service packages
• Short or long-term contracts tailored to meet individual end-user requirements
• One contract - one competitive price

- AND there is more -

Include Venture Fuels, our coal marketing partnership with RioTinto Energy America (RTEA), and western coal sourcing becomes part of the package. With Venture Fuels, a high-quality western coal to fit your individual requirements is delivered directly to your end user. Again, our advantage, one contract - one competitive price.

Midwest Energy Resources Company and Venture Fuels customers:

• Consumers Energy
• Cutler Lime Manufacturing
• Detroit Edison
• Duluth Steam Cooperative
• General Motors Corporation
• Hibbing Public Utilities
• Marquette Board of Light and Power
• Minnesota Power
• MP Taconite Harbor
• Ontario Power Generation
• Silver Bay Power
• U.S. Steel, Minntac
• Virginia Public Utilities
• WE Energies
• Xcel Energy Inc.