HARTINGTON - A plan is in the air to harness the wind that blows across Northeast Nebraska in Knox and Cedar Counties.

Close to 250 people showed up at a meeting in Wausa Thursday to learn about a proposed mega wind farm that could be located in eastern Knox and southwest Cedar counties.

Midwest Wind Energy is looking at a ridge line with a good wind source that stretches from Bloomfield to Magnet to Randolph with fingers that could go out to the Hartington and Coleridge areas.

The facility will be developed, owned and operated by Elkhorn Ridge II Wind Farm, according to Patrick Dalseth, Project Coordinator for Midwest Wind Energy.

The proposal is for a state-of-the-art 1,200 mega watt wind farm which could provide wind power for 420,000 American residences.

"If the wind will support it the project will be as big as the land owners want to go," said Dalseth. "I have been coming to Nebraska for two years - I know the land owners here are educated on wind energy."

Dalseth said he has already been in contact with the zoning administrators in Knox and Cedar County.

"I think there will be support here," Dalseth said.

There is no way of knowing the exact number of wind turbines that would be needed for the project at this point, according to Dalseth.

"The number of turbines will be based on the wind source," said Dalseth. "There is no way to know the number now. A rough estimate on the number of wind turbines could be anywhere from 450 to 800."

The estimated cost of the project is approximately $1 billion with the local investment coming close to $150 million.

"We like to use local resources for the concrete, steel, electric cables and other materials. Local services such as legal, engineering, construction, and excavating would also be used."

According to Dalseth, the project would provide hundreds of construction jobs along with dozens of permanent full-time jobs.

"The next step is to sign cooperation agreements with landowners for somewhere between 60,000 to 100,000 contiguous acres," said Dalseth.

The first step for interested land owners is to sign a cooperation agreement which would give Elkhorn Ridge II Wind Farm the right to enter their property to undertake surveying, soil borings and environmental assessments.

Elkhorn Ridge II will compensate the land owner for any crop damages.

The land owner will receive $1,000 for signing an agreement and will earn another $1,000 once 60,000 acres of relatively contiguous acres are signed up Dalseth said.

The term of the agreement is for five years - during that time the land owner cannot enter into any agreements with any other wind farm developer.
There are no documents recorded but the agreement and lease goes with the land.
"If the land is sold the lease runs with the land," Dalseth said.
The cooperative agreement is not a lease - the transition to a lease will come later.

"After enough cooperation agreements are signed, a meeting of the participating landowners will be held," said Dalseth. "At that time a negotiable lease will be drafted on behalf of all of the land owners."

The amount of dollars involved in the lease will not be available until more information is gathered.

He said other informational meetings may take place in other locations if needed.

The Elkhorn Ridge II, which will be a mega wind farm, is still a proposal at this stage but expectations are very high, he said.
"If there is a chance for the project we will do it," said Dalseth.