Goodhue landowners want more info about wind projects

GOODHUE - Tom Schulte thought he discovered his paradise.

Then wind company officials came knocking.

"We thought we found our Shangri-La," Schulte, a rural Goodhue landowner, told about 90 people gathered Wednesday for an informational wind energy meeting. "If I would have known the (wind) project was in the works, I would not have bought this property."

Schulte bought land four miles west of Goodhue more than two years ago. He said many landowners like himself - those who don't own enough property to house wind turbines but will live directly in their shadows - have been left out of the loop by Geronimo Wind and Goodhue Wind.

The companies are wooing landowners to sign lease agreements allowing large wind turbines to be built on their property.

Both companies want to construct wind farms across rural Goodhue County, though neither has filed an official application with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, the state agency charged with regulating and permitting projects larger than 5 megawatts.

Both projects have been marketed as Community-Based Energy Developments, which are supposed to guarantee some level of local project ownership.

"Nobody's contacted me to this day," said Steve Groth, a rural Goodhue County landowner. "I'm directly in the footprint and I've heard my stuff from everyone else.

"It's not the right way to do it."

Charlie Daum, project developer for Geronimo Wind, said Thursday he has gone out of his way attempting to talk to landowners about Geronimo's project - including those against it.

He said landowners interested in housing a turbine "are probably more in the loop" but he does not agree the rest of the community is being kept in the dark.

"I don't feel like we've been cryptic or are hiding details," he said.

Daum said Geronimo has sent out letters and made calls to residents throughout their project footprint, regardless of how much land they own.

"We are not keeping people out of the loop," he said. "I don't agree with that."

Daum said he's made multiple offers to talk with concerned residents but "no one has ever taken me up on that."

Goodhue Wind's Chuck Burdick said the company - managed by Twin Cities-based National Wind - has created a citizens advisory board to harvest community feedback.

Along with competing Geronimo Wind, Burdick said he and other officials have attended community forums and have even led a bus tour this summer.

"If I were in a resident's shoes, I would be craving information as well," Burdick said. "We're continually working on ways to improve our outreach. We want to provide as much information as possible to the community."

The group that set up Wednesday's meeting encouraged concerned residents to write local and state lawmakers as well as the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.

Group members, according to their Web site www.goodhuewindtruth.com, are not against wind power development. They just want it done responsibly and honestly.

"Unless you're a large parcel owner you probably have not heard from the wind companies and we're a year into this thing," Schulte said. "This concerns folks like myself who really have no say in this.

"We want to protect our fellow residents and our land."

Geronimo and Goodhue wind officials have given overviews of their projects and answered public questions during several meetings over the last year.

But landowners who attended Wednesday's informational session said they still have unanswered questions.

Dan Schleck, a Twin Cities environmental lawyer, said residents need to know the right questions to ask and not be afraid of being forceful with wind energy officials.

"It appears a lot of people have only gotten half the data," he said.

Schleck said little information is available regarding property values and health and safety issues related to turbines because harvesting wind for energy is a relatively new concept.

"If (a wind farm) goes in here, you're almost going to end up being guinea pigs," he said. "There's a lot of money to be made ... but is it worth it?"