December 7, 2010
Ohio

Leipsic wind farm development continues

Nancy Kline, m.limaohio.com 7 December 2010

OTTAWA – The developer behind a wind farm in northeastern Putnam County said Tuesday that the company is continuing with its plans.

Iberdrola Renewables proposes a 75-unit wind farm in Van Buren Township, northeast of Leipsic, that is estimated to produce 150 megawatts. There continue to be issues, business developer Jim O’Conner said, but the company is moving ahead on the project.

“This area remains a tremendous area for a wind farm,” O’Conner said to the Ottawa-area Chamber of Commerce.

The area provides wind resources needed for a wind farm plus its has access to tie into a nearby power grid, O’Conner said. Iberdrola strives to only use one acre for each turbine, he said.

“That is the largest footprint we strive to leave,” he said. “We often find it is smaller than this, allowing the farmer to use the remaining land for agriculture.”

O’Conner said they normally have around one wind tower per 100 acres of land.

While acknowledging the majority of the new jobs will come only the construction phase, O’Conner said wind farms provide ongoing benefits by providing income to farmers and additional tax revenue for the school district and township.

Iberdrola Renewables expects to file by early 2011 the Ohio Siting Board for a permit to build, O’Conner but said it might be problematic to have construction completed by the end of 2012.

Senate Bill 232, passed earlier this year, provides tax incentives for alternative energy sources if they meet certain deadlines, including completion by the end of 2012. If the company does not meet the deadlines, the alternative tax rate would have to be based on an enterprise zone agreement, O’Conner said.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/12/07/leipsic-wind-farm-development-continues/