A lot of people disagree about whether to call the Trimont project "community wind" as this article does, but there's no question that it is one of the largest projects ever to have significant elements of local participation beyond lease payments and taxes. Even if it's not pure community wind, I think it's inspired a lot of local groups to think big and some wind developers to think more creatively about how to involve local communities. See below for an update from the Fairmont Sentinel:

http://fairmontsentinel.com/news/stories/032405a.html

Trimont wind farm construction slated
By JENNIFER BROOKENS

Sentinel Staff Writer

TRIMONT -- Two years ago, a group of farmers and landowners near Trimont discussed the possibility of developing a wind farm. On Wednesday, the possibility became real.

Construction is expected to begin in late May or June on the 100-megawatt Trimont Area Wind Farm in the northwest corner of Martin County and the northeast corner of Jackson County.

A total of 67 turbines -- 40 in Martin County and the remaining 27 in Jackson County -- will be built on the land of 45 to 50 local landowners. They are expected to be up and running by November.

"We're now roughly 60 days away from construction," said Raimund Grube, director of Midwest development of PPM Energy of Portland, Ore.

PPM Energy, one of the largest providers of wind power in the United States, was selected by the Trimont Area Wind Farm to construct the project, with the energy being sold to Great River Energy in Elk River.

"Trimont is a great opportunity to bring a large-scale community wind project online by the end of 2005 in order to meet Great River Energy's needs," Grube said.

Traditional landowner easement payments for the project are expected to total around $250,000 each year, while the revenue participation by the landowners is expected to be more than double the traditional easement payment.

Production tax revenues from the project for Jackson and Martin counties are expected to range from $350,000 to $400,000 per year.

"The production tax kicks in when the blades start spinning," said Mark Rathbun, utility contact for Great River Energy.

"There would be some production tax from the end of 2005 and that would come in by 2006," explained Jim Hallstrom, Martin County Assessor. "We'd start collecting next year, but 2007 would be the first full year of the production tax."

There is no property tax on wind farms, but there is a production tax of 1.2 cents per kilowatt hour, according to Hallstrom.

The wind farm also plays into legislation passed a few years ago. By the end of this year, energy companies must have 1 percent of their energy as a renewable source. By the year 2015, energy companies will need to have 15 percent of their energy be from renewable sources.

According to Rathbun, the 100-megawatt farm will produce 3 percent of GRE's total energy, representing 10 percent renewable energy for the company.

"It's a pretty big jump for a company our size," he said.

Martin County Commissioner Jack Potter called the project a win for all entities involved.

"You hear about when two businesses enter into an agreement that benefits each one as a win-win situation," Potter said. "Well, this is a seven-win situation."

He explained that the local landowners who had the vision, PPM Energy, Great River Energy, electrical co-op customers, the environment, Martin and Jackson counties and the state of Minnesota all benefit.

"We are proud to be a hosting county for this project," he added.

"It shows the role that rural America can play in providing for the rest of the county," said Jackson County Commissioner Loren Tusa. "This is simply farmers harvesting their most natural product ... It's refreshing to see a grassroots effort like this become a reality."

Wind power is one of the fastest-growing energy sources over the past five years.

The 1.5-megawatt turbines that will be built can harvest winds up to 55 mph, and can automatically shut down to protect the equipment in more powerful winds. Each turbine is 262 feet in height at the tower's hub, from which rotors 254 feet in diameter spin. While it appears the blades are moving from a slow to medium speed, the actual speed of those blades is about 90 mph.

The project is expected to create about 50 jobs during the construction this summer, with up to six jobs for Trimont Wind members providing on-site operations once the project is complete.