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Jun 9, 2009

Bloomfield reaps benefits of alternative energy

BLOOMFIELD - Ask anybody how to get to the big wind farm, and they will direct you to 543rd Avenue, the first road past the cemetery. Residents know it well, because last year it was the road to good fortune for this struggling agricultural town in Knox County.

Hundreds of workers came here to work on Elkhorn Ridge - the largest wind farm in the state in terms of generation capacity - and upgrade the high-power lines to O'Neill and Gavins Point Dam.

With the national economy in free fall, Bloomfield reaped the benefits of a wind energy boom. It also experienced what other towns may see in the future as Nebraska continues to harness its strong prairie winds.

Companies spent thousands of dollars in this town of 1,200 people to make sure workers had everything they needed while they built the 27 massive turbines about five miles north of town.

The 4 Seasons Motel was full most of the time, and so was its parking lot next to Bazile Creek. Those who couldn't get a room there stayed in nearby Crofton, Creighton, Hartington and even Yankton, S.D., which is 30 miles away. RVs and trailers squatted in the city park like picnic tables.

"It was a very good summer," said Beth Harrold, owner of JB's, the town's busiest eatery. The Lincoln native hired extra help and could have used a traffic cop to handle the big rigs that squeezed into her gravel parking lot just off Nebraska 84. Harrold estimated that during the height of construction, she sold about $2,000 worth of diesel fuel a week, double the amount she usually sells.

Jack Dahlseid, manager of the 4 Seasons, said 2008 was the motel's best year in 20 years. He said the family-owned business made enough money to start a major remodeling project and hire two new housekeepers.

"Every motel in the county had people, including Cedar County," Dahlseid said. "These were good people. We had a good crew."

Bloomfield's windfall ended in March, when the $140 million Elkhorn Ridge project began producing electricity for Nebraska Public Power District and other partner utilities, including Lincoln Electric System.

Locals believe it's just a lull and anticipate more wind farms could be built in the area soon, as the nation looks to renewable energy to address global warming and other environmental problems.

The state of Nebraska, a latecomer to wind energy, has jumped on the bandwagon. An interim study on wind power is under way by the Legislature. Due in December, the policy study will look at adding 7,800 megawatts of wind energy to the state's power grid by 2030. Of that total amount, 5,000 megawatts would be exported to big cities in the east.

In Bloomfield, where the wind appears to blow constantly, wind turbine fever is at a pitch. There's talk on the streets of a "mega" wind farm between Bloomfield and Randolph that would generate about 600 megawatts, which would equal the energy output of a good-size coal plant.

Landowners in Cedar County are calling Bloomfield residents and officials for information because speculators are knocking on their doors wanting to lease their land and they don't know if they should take the deal or hold out for more money.

"I think there are developers in the area who are trying to acquire land options," said NPPD renewable energy manager Dave Rich. "There are literally dozens of areas where this is going on - most of them by out-state companies."

Rich said NPPD strongly encourages landowners to work with their local power district and get legal advice before they sign any agreement, which could be "30 to 40 years long."

Jim Huttmann has No. 1 and No. 2 on his farmland.

They are the first wind turbines built by Midwest Energy LLC of Chicago, the company that developed Elkhorn Ridge for Edison Mission Midwest Inc., the principal owner.

Huttmann, 66, is one of 10 landowners who signed 20-year leases. He won't say how much he gets for the two acres - only that it's "considerably" more than he would get if he were growing corn or soybeans on that same land.

He and his wife, Leslie, saw their first wind farm when they drove across Iowa a few years back. That's when he decided that if he ever got the opportunity he would put a wind turbine on his property. They were among the first to sign up when Midwest Wind Energy came calling.

"I was fascinated. They didn't take up much room. They didn't make much noise," Huttmann said, recalling his first glimpse of an Iowa wind farm.

With its 144-foot-long blades, each Vestas V90 generates three megawatts of power. The wind turbine, from base to blade tip, is 410 feet high, which is taller than the State Capitol. Together, the 27 turbines produce 81 megawatts, enough electricity to supply about 25,000 homes for a year.

Huttmann hopes the wind turbines will lessen the country's dependence on coal. Meanwhile, he said, the rent payments will help him pay off what he still owes on his land.

"I'm impressed by them. I don't know if I would be that impressed if there weren't some on my ground," Huttmann quipped as he described how much concrete and reinforcing iron went into the turbine's pad. "They're quite a machine!"

While some landowners are reluctant to talk about how much money they are getting in lease payments, Joan (pronounced Jo-ann) Case, isn't so shy: "Ten people get (share in) $325,000 per year."

That comes out to about $12,000 per year for each turbine. But the amount could be more because the rent payments are tied to the wholesale cost of electricity, according to Huttmann. When the price of power goes up, so do their payments.

Case, 75, praised the developer, Midwest Wind Energy, for putting a lot of money into the community and helping out farmers with expenses. She said the "rent" helped some farmers buy seed this spring.

Case, who has two wind turbines on her land, explained that a committee made up of local cattle rancher Jim Herzog, corn grower Bruce Lemke and her youngest son and engineer Richard Case of Omaha, assisted by local attorney Steve Archibald, worked on drafting the 50-page lease agreement.

As part of their research, committee members flew to Minneapolis to talk to experts about Community-Based Energy Development or C-BED projects such as Elkhorn Ridge, the first of its kind in Nebraska. Under the agreement, 33 percent is owned by Nebraska residents, including the 10 turbine host landowners.

"They definitely did everything they said they would do," Case said of the developers. "I think the whole community thinks it's great. We haven't had too many people that weren't in favor of it."

During construction, a worker was severely burned while working in the "hub" of a wind turbine. Even though he wasn't from the area, some Bloomfield residents sent him get well cards and still keep in touch.

"The guys from the wind farm came in and they just fit in this community," Harrold said. "There were some friendships made."

Case has high hopes for a second wind project called Crofton Hills, a 42-megawatt wind farm to be south of Crofton. She said many landowners have signed long-term lease agreements and are waiting for the $70 million project to be built.

NPPD has signed a 20-year agreement to buy the electricity from the project, which is scheduled for completion in 2010. The C-BED project is being built jointly by four Nebraska-based nonprofit groups: American Corn Growers Foundation, American Corn Growers Association, Nebraska Farmers Union and the Nebraska Farmers Union Foundation.

City Administrator Lyndsy Jenness said the wind turbines have put Bloomfield on the map - again. Once known for its egg-producing industry, the town is slowly gaining a reputation for green technology.

"It's good to be a part of something that is at least cutting-edge in this part of the country," Jenness said. "And it's good to be part of something that is new to Nebraska."

Bloomfield's slogan used to be "Northeast Nebraska's Busiest Community." Now it's "Northeast Nebraska's Busiest and Windiest Community."

Although most of the workers have left the area to build wind projects elsewhere, a lot of money will still be coming into the community.

As part of the C-BED agreement, Knox County could get more than $5.5 million in property taxes over the next five years from the Elkhorn Ridge project.

The biggest chunk of the property tax money, estimated at $2.4 million, will go the Bloomfield Community School District, according to Superintendent Bob Marks. The money should start rolling in late August.

The district's wish list includes: building or remodeling its junior-senior high school, buying two new buses and a new 15-passenger van, and providing each 7th- to 12th-grade student with a laptop computer.

The list could be the envy of any rural school district, but it's not all that rosy. Budget or "lid" limits placed on the state's school districts by the Legislature have "decreased our ability to grow our budget," Marks said.

Basically, that means the school district, which has seen property tax values go up in recent years, cannot spend the wind farm money as it would like, Marks said.

"If the district cannot meet the minimum general levy tax…it may be in jeopardy of being equalized in the eyes of the state, which means a loss of state aid," Marks said.

That amount could be between $300,000 and $400,000.

"It's a double-edge sword."

If the towering wind turbines north of Bloomfield are impressive during the day, you should see them at night.

Each of the 27 turbines has a blinking red light to warn low-flying aircraft of the potential hazard. The lights can be seen from miles away.

"Most of the people in the community like them," said landowner Case. "They like the looks of them. I think they are beautiful myself."

Mary Miller, who lives near the big wind turbines, said they don't bother her. She said she would have liked to have one on her land but it wasn't "high enough or windy enough."

Does she feel left out not being among the 10 landowners who get rent payments?

"I'm just glad it helped the economy around here," said Miller, a clerk at Hefner True Value hardware. "I think it has and will continually do that."

Her home is surrounded by three wind turbines. She said she hears the noise from the wind turbines sometimes but it doesn't bother her.

"It's no worse than a corn dryer in the fall," Miller said. "I love the lights. They (her friends) told us we live in the red light district."

The wind turbines have become a tourist attraction of sorts for the community. When family or friends come to visit, one of the first things they have to do is take a drive in the country to see the wind turbines.

Harrold said her cafe is very busy on Sundays because of the all the "sightseers from Yankton who bring their grandkids down because they have never seen a wind farm before."

Ron and Joan Brodersen drove from Hartington one night with their daughter, Anna, and son, Aaron, and family friend Eric Miller of Davenport to "show him (Miller) the sights."

Ron Brodersen also had an ulterior motive: His mother's land in Cedar County is in one of the areas designated as having good wind potential and he wanted to get a close-up view of a wind farm.

"I think it's pretty cool that they can be turning when there's hardly any wind up here," said Aaron Brodersen.

Said Joan Brodersen: "The red lights can be seen from Hartington."

That's about 26 miles away.

Asked if he would like to see a wind farm near his hometown, Ron Brodersen replied: "I think it would be a good thing if they came."


Comments

Posted by India calling card on 08/17  at  10:30 AM

Thanks for sharing this story… It’s great being a part of the production of these turbines by knowing what’s happening on the field.

Posted by darman on 09/14  at  08:47 PM

It reduces CO2 waste that goes out into the environment.It reduces global warming.water cars

Posted by build own solar panel on 09/18  at  09:16 PM

Solar power is the process of converting the sun’s rays in to energy.The vast majority of sunlight which strikes the earth is left unabsorbed, so we might as well try to take as much as we can get.Solar energy is produced through the application of solar cells,and several solar cells put together form solar panels.The solar cells convert sunlight in to direct current energy through the photoelectric effect. When light hits the surface of the cell,electrons are released and they are harnessed in to usable electricity.

Posted by Cheap Car Rental Cape Town on 09/07  at  02:08 AM

Existing energy is reducing day by day because its being misused by many industrialist and corrupted people. That is the reason alternate energy is produced. Its actually a great idea too, to reserve it in stock.

Posted by home wind power on 10/16  at  07:20 AM

Simply stated, a wind turbine works the opposite of a fan. Instead of using electricity to make wind, like a fan, wind turbines use wind to make electricity. The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft, which connects to a generator and makes electricity.

Posted by Mike W. on 10/16  at  08:08 AM

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Posted by make solar panels on 10/18  at  04:38 PM

I wonder how much the guys building the turbines got paid. I also am curious do turbines make noise? probably not but if they did that sure would suck for the nearby homeowners.

Posted by making a bow and arrow on 10/18  at  04:40 PM

““I was fascinated. They didn’t take up much room. They didn’t make much noise,” Huttmann said, recalling his first glimpse of an Iowa wind farm.”

There you go, they don’t make much noise apparently.

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Posted by natural gas tankless water heaters on 12/19  at  02:32 PM

Wind energy is good, however it has its negative side. I read about a recent spanish study that claims the job losses caused by the industry is more than the new jobs created. Anyway, it is a good read, thanks for sharing.

Posted by Cars for sale on 01/13  at  01:53 AM

Elkhorn Ridge which is the largest wind farm in the state is producing lot of energy which can be used as alternative fuel .this kind of projects not only provides boost to the nation economy but also provides job opportunity to the locals ..
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Posted by Stewardess Opleiding on 01/20  at  08:43 AM

Thank you for sharing this great information. I am also wondering how much noise a wind turbine makes (Decibel). My brother lives near a wind turbine, but I never hear him complaining about noise.

Posted by International trucks on 01/27  at  11:11 PM

The was real good idea because existing energy is reduce day by day that was energy produce wonderful idea. I am look the near they big sound wind turbine…

Posted by Fulfillment Companies on 01/31  at  10:06 AM

I’d definitely rather have the turbines and a more sustainable economy and environmental plan than the alternative!

Posted by high availability on 02/02  at  06:55 AM

It is fantastic what alternative energy can do for the environment and the economy.  It is nice that so many jobs were created when building these wind farms.  So many local businesses flourished because of them as well.  I live in Indiana, and there is a huge wind farm on the way to Chicago.  It is breathtaking.  I would love to see more wind farms in the near future.

Posted by Used Trucks on 02/15  at  01:06 AM

I think we want to use lot of solar power so that fuels and the resources will be save.

Posted by dental insurance on 02/16  at  11:01 PM

We have a huge wind farm that just came up near our home. You wouldn’t believe how big those things are until you are right up on them. I saw some of them being transported in on trucks and they were massive.

Posted by winnebago rvs on 03/07  at  09:08 PM

i think building wind farm at the around the sea will be of great help to produce to extra amount of energy as we are facing shortage of electricity around the globe .
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Posted by used cars on 03/07  at  10:42 PM

We really need to take care of energy, if we have alternate options then why not to discuss with all. This is our responsibility to save our earth.

Posted by Rvs For Sale on 03/15  at  11:25 PM

I am agree to all. It is fantastic idea to create a good energy to all world. If you build a good & powerful energy then it is help to save our fuel economy.. This is really good to our earth.. SAVE THE EARTH.

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Posted by Plumber Hertford on 04/19  at  07:12 AM

“Beth Harrold” saying are fantastic. Thanks for writing in.

Posted by Property management London on 04/20  at  02:02 AM

Excellent review. Very energetic.

Posted by Mell Gibson on 05/12  at  06:23 AM

I like to use eco-friendly product and slowly there are many products launch in the market which give maximum performance on the base of nature, like there are some research is still going on for produce eco car and I will purchase good eco friendly car when it launch in the market. This way I will be also a member of eco friendly product users.

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Posted by Business Reputation Management on 05/19  at  12:36 AM

Besides the environment, farmers who produce their own electricity are also reaping the economic benefits of using their land for that purpose. In nearly every state they reported savings on their utility bills.

Posted by Used Trucks on 05/25  at  05:59 AM

As we all know that our natural resources are limited & gonna finished one day. so its our duty to save our natural resources as well as nature.

Solar energy is one of the best alternative but it is still a half solution coz we can produce electricity or any energy in only day time.

Posted by Indian yellow pages on 06/18  at  03:36 AM

The renaissance of California’s wind power market will be a hot topic at WINDPOWER this year, and many of the speakers will focus on the business opportunities there, as well as benefits to ratepayers and communities,” said Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association.

Posted by work at home on 06/27  at  12:29 AM

Obama seems to be the ultimate alternative energy supporter, so I suppose that alternative energy stocks will rise under his presidency.

Posted by Triumph motorcycles on 07/06  at  07:17 AM

Interesting post, there are many ways for carting eco energy without using any natural resources like very famous example is wind farm. This is one of the best for creating energy without making huge dam and without investing lots of many. Wind farm provide us lots of benefits like require less investment as compare to making huge dam for crating energy, there is no need to use any natural resources like water, There is no need specific place for making wind farm like huge open space, More energy provider as compare to any other ways. I only want to say one thing that us wind farm is one of the best source for making energy.
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Posted by backyard fire pit on 07/12  at  03:17 PM

People in places where wind energy is abundant are really lucky specially those who can afford to build their own wind turbines. It’s a wise investment indeed.

Posted by Yoga Zürich on 07/22  at  07:41 AM

Alternative energy sources provide many benefits. Renewable energy can create new jobs and promote economic development, especially in areas far from the city where most jobs are located. If used to diversify utility energy sources, alternative energy technologies can provide a hedge against rising fuel prices and can be valuable risk management tools.

Posted by Honda Atvs on 08/02  at  08:37 AM

Good information, Wind farms can provide a cheap, clean, renewable source of power, not to mention the economic boost they distribute to the communities surrounding the projects.

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Posted by vinyl stickers on 08/11  at  02:07 AM

I’m writing a paper on alternative energy, and I’m going to talk about how it is a cure for many of the world’s problems. I’m going to mention:
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Posted by Viagra on 08/18  at  07:12 AM

Redbull,or maybe a health food store would have a supplement.Don`t mix the two together though.You could have a heart attack.You have to be careful with anything that gives you energy.Your body knows better than you do and if it`s telling you it`s tired listen to it!I mean those energy drinks and suppliments are okay once in a while,just don`t make a habit if it.

Posted by Rvs for sale on 09/20  at  02:44 AM

this is so nice that There are literally dozens of areas where this is going on - most of them by out-state companies…

Posted by seo on 09/25  at  02:13 AM

Hundreds of workers came here to work on Elkhorn Ridge - the largest wind farm in the state in terms of generation capacity - and upgrade the high-power lines to O’Neill and Gavins Point Dam…

Posted by grow taller on 09/25  at  02:15 AM

The wind turbines have become a tourist attraction of sorts for the community. When family or friends come to visit, one of the first things they have to do is take a drive in the country to see the wind turbines….

Posted by increase height on 09/25  at  02:21 AM

That’s when he decided that if he ever got the opportunity he would put a wind turbine on his property. They were among the first to sign up when Midwest Wind Energy came calling…

Posted by real resume help on 10/12  at  06:19 AM

The term Alternative Energy is generally used to indicate non-traditional energy systems which do not use fossil fuels and have low environmental impact. There are many non-fossil fuel based energy systems either already in use or being evolved and developed to counter the harmful effects of increasing use of fossil fuels.

Posted by Debt Consolidation Loans on 10/16  at  04:10 AM

This may sound ridiculous at this moment but we may need to face it sometime in the future , so what kind of alternative energy sources that we can tap into before we run out of gasoline? Do you think the oil companies or some other major corporations should really invest in such energy development since this is essential for the survival of our civilization.

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Posted by Reputation Management on 11/14  at  11:34 PM

All the money that you save on your energy bill can be used to purchase lots of other things. Economic studies show that the cost of gas and food are rising on almost a daily basis. Experts believe that this will continue for awhile in the coming months and years. You would really be doing your household budget a favor by saving money on your utility bill

Posted by Time and Attendance Software on 11/24  at  06:07 AM

Wow…..that’s really motivational. People should learn how Bloomfield reaps benefits of alternative energy.

Posted by kissing on 11/26  at  03:58 AM

Hi guys i just want to ask a question This may sound ridiculous at this moment but we may need to face it sometime in the future , so what kind of alternative energy sources that we can tap into before we run out of gasoline?

Posted by cover for ipad 2 on 01/13  at  05:05 AM

Everyone is entitled to at least feel the benefits of this innovation. Hope that this will continue.


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