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 could be on the rise in Cass 

Credit:  Cody Bozarth, www.myjournalcourier.com 1 November 2010 ~~

A Cass County wind farm is in the works but it’s not yet a done deal.

Wind energy company WPCS International Inc. is developing the Windtron I project in Cass County.

Matt Cumberworth, vice president of wind energy for WPCS, said the main concern are some critical landowners have not yet signed on to lease but the company has secured 3,600 of the total 5,300 acres needed.

He said the goal is about 40 turbines for a 100-megawatt project, but at this stage nothing is certain.

“That has a lot to do with how the interconnect study comes back and the impact study comes back,” Cumberworth said. “We’re getting close. I’ve done 16 preliminary designs already. Every time we acquire more land, everything changes.”

He declined to say where the project area is but he expects to have more specific information within a month.

Cass County Chairman Dave Parish said the county was ready for WPCS in terms of regulations as other wind power companies had express interest in starting wind farms in the past although they eventually fell though.

“This is the third or fourth, but in the meantime we’ve created a wind power ordinance,” Parish said. “I’m sure glad we had waited. I see in Lee County there’s another lawsuit. It’s a matter of how they’re taxed and that’s been the problem all along.”

During a meeting with county officials and WPCS last week there was discussion on some other hurdles the company faces for developing a wind farm.

Some of the township roads are not suitable to accommodate the weight and large turning radius of trucks bringing in the turbine blades and towers.

Parish said the company will have to construct better roads, if even on a temporary basis, to install the equipment.

“In some cases, we’ll see if we can’t keep some of the improvements,” Parish said.

Parish said there will be another meeting held soon, though no date is set, as the company still needs to file some additional applications and pay citing fees.

Cumberworth said WPCS is still leasing land and waiting for the results of the interconnect agreement and transmission study. Wind and environmental assessments are still ongoing but a fatal flaw analysis – which addresses issues regarding blocking radar signals, environmental effects and air traffic hazards – has already been filed with the county.

Parish said county officials are in favor of bringing the wind farm to the area.

“After all, it is a private enterprise and these things can be a boon to the local economy and the land owners,” Parish said. “If I had some land I’d be saying, ‘Yes, yes.’”

Source:  Cody Bozarth, www.myjournalcourier.com 1 November 2010

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