By Scott Weisser
WARSAW — Get it in writing.
That contractual advice and other tips for those wanting to profit from wind energy were offered Wednesday in Warsaw. Nearly 150 people gathered in the Shrine Building at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds to learn about how commercial wind power can work for them.
Turnout matched interest in the topic. Organizers had hoped for 80 to 90 attendees. People came from 16 counties, including Wayne County, Mich.
The featured speakers were Justin Schneider, staff attorney with Indiana Farm Bureau, and Benton County Extension Educator Jimmy Bricker. Benton County has been at the forefront of Indiana’s commercial wind power development.
At a wind farm, turbines “harvest” the wind to produce electric power. Landowners make money when acreage is leased for tower placement.
Bricker said that in Benton County, 370 landowners have signed lease agreements with wind developers. The annual lease payments to those property owners are going to be more than $2 million. In addition, developers have paid millions upfront to county government in exchange for tax abatement. In the future, the wind projects will result in property tax revenue for Benton County.
Technology has made bird and bat deaths a dead issue, according to Bricker; the blades of a modern wind turbine turn at 15 rotations per minute.
Noise from wind towers is another issue. Addressing it prior to the meeting, Kosciusko County Farm Bureau President John Goon said he’s visited Benton County to see the wind energy projects.
“The wind made more noise than the tower did,” he said.
Push for green
A desire for more energy independence and a focus on “green” energy are a couple of forces driving wind projects, according to Schneider. Cost comparisons to other energy sources are another factor.
“(Wind is) getting closer to competing with coal,” he said.
The United States is the No. 1 producer of wind energy in the world, Schneider said. And Indiana, though not the top producer, has the fastest-growing wind industry in the country.
Schneider said that in Indiana, wind farms are being developed to sell the energy to surrounding states required to use green energy.
Bricker encouraged his listeners not to sell themselves short when wind energy developers come knocking.
“Don’t be timid about negotiating with a wind developer. Don’t be timid whatsoever,” he said. “Wind developers are not gas pipelines, nor are they utilities. They don’t have the right of eminent domain. They only way they’re going to come into your county and on your land is if they buy their way in. That’s how it goes.”
Schneider urged paying close attention to contracts. He also encouraged property owners to consult a lawyer.
“The value that you’re talking about getting for one of these projects will not compensate you if something gets really screwed up,” he said, also noting, “Everything you agree to needs to be on that piece of paper.”
Schneider also encouraged neighboring property owners to get together in negotiating with developers.
Wind energy leases in the data gathering/development phase typically run five to seven years, Schneider said. In the operation stage, 25-year leases are common.
“You’ve got to make sure you’re making smart decisions,” he said. An agreement can bind future generations, not just the current landowner.
Schneider cautioned landowners against not signing a lease because they don’t want to look at wind towers. Towers approach 400 feet tall, he said. And if surrounding property owners have them, they’re part of the scenery.
“They are big and you will see them,” he said.
During the question and answer session, Schneider said that wind turbines can limit a farmer’s ability to do aerial applications to crops. Also, restricted airspace near airports can be a problem.
“Airports can wreak havoc on your project,” Schneider said.
Milford project
JW Great Lakes Wind has constructed a test tower near Milford to determine if the area can sustain a wind farm. The tower is on Tony Zimmerman’s property.
“Right now, Great Lakes Wind is in the Milford/Leesburg area and they’ve got a target area from (Kosciusko C.R.) 800 North to 1300 North from Ind. 15 to Ind. 19,” Zimmerman said. He and 15 to 20 of his neighbors are in contract negotiations with Great Lakes Wind.
Goon sees potential for wind projects in Kosciusko County.
“There’s money to be made for the landowner,” he said. “There’s money to be made potentially for the county, taxes to be saved by county residents. It sounds to me like it’s hard to beat.”
“I think it’s the way things should go,” Mike Hollar of Warsaw said of wind energy. “It’s just a matter of getting the bugs worked out, the details worked out.”
Elkhart County planning director Bob Watkins also attended the meeting.
“I know there’s a ton of interest” in wind energy, Watkins said. He added that a developer has asked about Elkhart County’s rules regarding wind projects.
Watkins expects county officials to address both commercial and residential wind energy guidelines. Also, he said, the county zoning ordinance is being reviewed and the revised ordinance will likely address alternative energy.
“...It’s obviously something we’re going to have to consider here before too long,” Watkins said.
