Landowners meet with representatives from Walleye Wind Farm

Renewable Energy Systems hosted a landowner meeting last week to answer questions about plans for a $200 million wind farm.
RES plans to construct 36 to 40 wind turbines in Martin and Beaver Creek townships in the southwest corner of Rock County.
Scott Jansen and Lisa Bellen with RES conducted the 90-minute meeting Tuesday night, July 10, at the Hills-Beaver Creek High School in Hills.
About 50 people filled the school’s commons area.
Jansen outlined the proposed wind farm, which when built will be the second largest in Rock County.
He said the planned farm would encompass 114,000 to 118,000 acres. Plans don’t place turbines in nearby Iowa or South Dakota.
“We prefer to stay in Minnesota and Rock County,” Jansen said.
The farm is limited to 100 megawatts based on existing transmission line capabilities with tower height restricted to less than 500 feet.
Turbine location is still under consideration as the 25-plus-year contracts are completed with interested landowners. Contract negotiations will wrap up this fall.
Planners will then determine placement of each turbine based on contract location and setback requirements.
“At the end of the day, the farm designs itself,” Jansen said.
Because of its size, the Walleye Wind Farm would need state approval before construction could begin. Approval is expected in 2019 with project completion by the end of 2020.
Those in attendance July 10 asked questions about landowner payments, setback requirements, decommissioning and noise restrictions.
Jansen said generally one turbine minimally generates just over $12,000 annually for the landowner.
The state requires setbacks for wind farms over 5 megawatts to be at least 500 to 1,500 feet away from homes to meet the state’s noise standard.
The cost to decommission the wind farm is built into the funding and means all equipment is removed from 4 feet underground and above.
Three wind farms are currently operating in Rock County:
•Rock County Energy — seven turbines in Beaver Creek Township.
•Community Renewables — three turbines in Martin Township.
•Prairie Rose Wind Farm — 119 turbines in Springwater, Rose Dell and Denver townships.
The three entities generated over $825,000 in wind production tax in 2018 based on 2017 production. The county receives 80 percent of the tax and 20 percent is divided among the townships where the turbine is located.
When operational, Walleye Wind Farm is estimated to contribute an additional $400,000 in local annual production tax.