October 22, 2011
Indiana

Prospective wind farm developer pulls plug

By Melanie Csepiga, Times Correspondent, www.nwitimes.com 21 October 2011

EAGLE CREEK TOWNSHIP | The developer of a wind farm project in an agricultural area east of Lowell is pulling out.

In an Oct. 10 letter to property owners, Andy Paterson of Michigan Energy Generation, of Ann Arbor, said his company is releasing all landowners from their contracts.

“Despite a wholehearted effort, we have been unable to find a partner to develop our projects,” he said.

Companies and investment groups that expressed interest have stepped away citing “political uncertainty leading to an unclear energy policy and future,” Paterson said.

In April, Eagle Creek farmers and landowners who live and work on the 10,000 acres of interest to the wind farm developer met with Paterson and signed contracts to lease land for the eventual installation of wind turbines.

Paterson had plans then to secure financing in the global marketplace.

His earlier deal with Windlab, a Michigan-based firm with international ties fell through last fall.

Local landowner John Bryant said he does not know the number of landowners from Eagle Creek and a small portion of Cedar Creek Township who had signed on, but their number and acreage was sufficient for Paterson to move forward.

“I am neutral about the wind farm, but my stance has been that if all our neighbors had them, we had to have them, too,” Bryant said of the turbines.

“I do not see them in our future given the current attitude of government toward private business development. None of the wind farms would have been developed with government incentives, anyway,” Bryant said.

[The following correction was issued by nwitimes.com on Sunday, October 23: A quote some Friday editions regarding a wind farm developer pulling out of plans in Eagle Creek Township was incorrect.

“None of the wind farms would have been developed without government incentives, anyway,” John Bryant said.

The Times regrets the error.]

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/10/22/prospective-wind-farm-developer-pulls-plug/