KIRKSVILLE - After last week's meeting between the Adair County Commission and Trade Wind Energy, it was apparent more discussion would need to be made to bring wind energy to the county.

Over the last six months, Project Manager Rob Northway has been developing a plan to build a 14-mile long wind farm that could cost up to $300 million and accommodate nearly 500 megawatts. The only problem is funding.

Northway and the commission discussed the possibility of a enterprise zone at their June 3 meeting. On Tuesday, they examined the economic development tool more closely.

"We're going through the school districts first and then we'll be talking to the other taxing entities that could benefit from the project," Northway said. "Then the commission will start the process of filling out the application, formalizing an enterprise zone board...having two or three public meetings and then submitting the formal application to the Missouri Department of Economic Development."

The group discussed the possibility of an enterprise zone that allows for a 60 percent tax abatement for 20 years. Missouri law mandates a minimum of 50 percent abatement for 10 years. The exact area and enterprise map has yet to be finalized.

Northway stated he wanted to stay in the same playing field with other states who have similar arrangements regarding wind farms.

"We just want to be competitive with the other states," he said. "At the end of the day, we want our tax bill to be what other developers are paying in Illinois, [other wind farms in] Missouri, Kansas and Iowa."

At Trade Wind's current request, the county would tax an average of $5,900 per megawatt for the 20 year abatement. That would amount to approximately $731,000 a year that would be eligible for the county to tax.

Northway maintains that is an adequate tax rate compared to other midwestern wind projects.

"We don't want to be low. We don't want to be high. We just want to be in the market for what the normal tax rate is on wind farms here," he added. "We've encouraged the commission to do their own research and look into what existing wind farms are paying on an annual basis."

Northway added the abatement percentage could be fixed to allow for some flexibility on the front or back end of the 20 year period.

Also at the meeting, the group discussed the right-of-way issue within the county. Northway said Trade Winds has acquired 90 percent of the area, but more work needs to be completed.

"We are still working on some of the parts in western Adair County, but we can go around those individual land owners," he stated. "It's just a matter of miles, but we would rather keep it on a straight line and we are still trying to work with a few land owners."

Trade Winds officials will now meet with the Kirksville R-III School Board to discuss the abatement before returning to the commission to continue negotiations. Other entities include the library district, Adair County Ambulance District, the City and Senate Bill 40.

"We will set another meeting with the rest of the taxing entities that could benefit from the project and would be within the enterprise zone," Northway said. "From there, we need to go over our plans and our project to make sure [the commission] is up to speed on the economic benefits that the area would spin off."