LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Wind farm to take root in Benton 

EARL PARK – Plans for a wind energy project in this part of Benton County have been scaled back somewhat, and are being handled by a new company.

But spinning steel turbines should soon be dotting farmlands in Richland and York townships, using the wind to generate electricity.

“Everything in terms of permits is in place. All of that is done,” said Turner Hunt, project manager for Orion Energy Group, which is developing the wind energy project. “We’re right now to the point of bringing on general contractors and sub-contractors. We’re talking about making it a reality.”

Hunt said that construction will start this year on the first phase, which will include 67 towers. It is unclear how many will be built in the second phase.

Original plans called for a maximum of 135 turbines to be placed in the two townships with the capability of producing about 200 megawatts of electricity annually – generating enough power to serve at least 50,000 homes.

More than 100 construction jobs will be created to erect the turbines, and up to 12 full-time employees will be required when the devices are generating power.

Each turbine will require about one-third of an acre and land owners are expected to receive lease payments between $5,000 and $10,000 per year.

Details haven’t been finalized, but Bob Suiter Jr., who owns 800 acres between Earl Park and Raub, anticipates three turbines will be placed on his property.

“They’ve staked everything and are going to take core samples this month. Once that is done and they get their reports back they’ll know what they have to do for each site,” said Suiter. “I’m all for clean energy and looking for other ways to get more self-sufficient.”

Last year, the Benton County Council approved a resolution that designates York and Richland townships as economic revitalization areas.

That cleared the way for the council to grant a 10-year tax abatement for the alternative energy development company, which agreed to pay the county $1 million over four years.

“I think there will be a lot of economic benefits,” said Joann Wealing, president of the Benton County Local Economic Development Organization. “There will be payments to landowners, contracts while the wind farms are being constructed and jobs associated with it, as well.

“Benton County is a very rural county. It has a population of around 9,000 people. It would seem to be an ideal positioning for wind farms. They’re compatible with agriculture.”

Originally, the ERA designation and tax abatements were being sought by Orion Energy LLC, on Oakland, Calif.-based firm that was purchased in late December by BP Alternative Energy of Houston.

Shortly after the acquisition, BP announced plans to construct five wind projects in the United States this year – two in Texas and one each in California, Colorado and North Dakota.

The acquisition will give BP Alternative Energy a wind power portfolio of nearly 100 projects with the capacity to generate about 15,000 megawatts.

But three Orion Energy LLC projects were not included in the deal.

The wind farm in northwestern Benton County and similar projects in Texas and Illinois are now being developed by Orion Energy Group, the successor to Orion Energy LLC.

Last August, Duke Energy Indiana signed an agreement to purchase up to 100 megawatts of wind-generated electricity from the Richland and York township turbines annually.

The 20-year agreement stipulates that the alternative power be available by the end of this year.

Duke Energy spokeswoman Angeline Protogere said the utility company is still expecting to begin purchasing power this year.

“If everything goes the way it’s planned it will all be very positive,” Suiter said. “It’s going to generate tax income for the county, which we desperately need, and it should improve the county’s financial situation quite a bit.”

By Max Showalter

jconline.com

24 March 2007

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon