WIND IS GOOD FOR THE FARMERS

Wind could be next great farming subsidy
Candace Lombardi, May 19, 2010 (C/NET)

"…[The] 343-megawatt Lower Snake River Wind Project…will consist of 149 jumbo 2.3-megawatt wind turbines…[and will] supply enough energy for 100,000 homes…[but it] is not a one-site wind farm but--similar to the $1 billion wind energy complex in Texas --will be a connected system of turbines across various private lands.

"About 40,000 acres of farmland will be utilized with farmers receiving energy royalty payments, as well as lease fees for the use of their land. Once the installation of the turbines is complete, 98 percent of the farmland on which the turbines sit will be able to be farmed as normal…"

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"…Partnerships between the wind energy industry and farmers are gaining traction across the U.S. With land lease rights for state and federal lands often hard to secure, wind energy developers have been looking elsewhere and have found the agricultural industry…States appear willing to foster the partnership as a way to attract wind turbine manufacturers and developers, while aiding their fledgling farming industries…Windustry.org, a farmer-based wind energy nonprofit group…estimates that farmers earn about '$2,500 to $5,000 per turbine, $3,000 to $4,000 per megawatt of capacity, or 2-4% of gross revenues.'

"…Ohio farmers stand to earn an estimated $9.3 million in annual lease payments in exchange for hosting turbines on their land…Iowa, which leads the nation in obtaining the largest percentage of electricity from wind energy, gets 14 percent of its electricity from wind…As far back as 2003, Iowa utility MidAmerican Energy…was partnering with Iowa farmers to install hundreds of jumbo wind turbines across the state."

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"…[The] Roscoe, Texas, wind complex, which consists of 627 wind turbines providing a 781.5-megawatt capacity over 100,000 acres…[might not have been possible without] the willing participation of over 300 landowners spanning across four counties agreeing to host turbines…

"The federal government has also been on board though with little notice. The U.S. Department of Agriculture through its Rural Energy for America Program has offered grants and promotions for individual farmers using renewable resources like wind turbines for over a decade."