Proposed Flickertail Wind Farm in northern North Dakota draws concerns from some residents 

David Fite, one of the voices in opposition to the project, said he wants to have public meetings so everyone can gather and have discussions.

“They just need to have public meetings where we can sit down there and discuss this issue,” he said. “Maybe they have solutions, maybe they don’t.”

The project was announced Jan. 15 by Minnkota Power Cooperative. The farm will be owned and operated by PRC Wind, and the energy it produces will be purchased by Minnkota after a long-term agreement was signed by the entities.

At the time of the announcement, Minnkota CEO Mac McLennan said it’s part of his organization’s goal to diversify its energy portfolio and offerings.

“Flickertail Wind Farm represents a tremendous opportunity to enhance our energy portfolio with a carbon-free resource, fulfill the vision of local landowners and harness North Dakota’s abundant energy potential,” he said. “As the demand for electricity continues to grow in our region and across the nation, it’s critical for us to develop new energy resources and continue to diversify our power supply strategy.”

Six weeks later, opponents are speaking up.

Levi Rue has concerns about how the project could devalue some property. While having turbines on their land would be financially beneficial to project participants, he believes those nearby could see their property devalued.

“This is the middle of North Dakota. It’s agriculture,” he said. “(People) knew what they were getting into when they lived there. They bought their property, they knew that there were going to be combines going and cows bellering and stuff like that. They didn’t bank on possibly their largest asset that they have, their home, being in the middle of a wind energy conversion facility.”

Fite doesn’t think the money projected to go into the area will be spent there, as some landowners don’t live in the project area.

“Go to any of these meetings – the first thing they’ll do is they bring up the money to the community,” he said. “I don’t think a lot of that is going to be spent here in Eddy County. … It’s not as wonderful as they say.”

Projected at approximately 90 turbines, PRC and Minnkota believe it will “inject approximately $100 million directly into the local community and create 300 jobs during construction,” according to the release in January.

Rue said it will be a tough battle balancing the needs of those who don’t want the project and those who do .

“That’s going to be a challenge for them,” he said. “I do think that there could have been better communication between everybody here.”

Meanwhile, proponents say they have responded to concerns regarding transparency, as well as worries over the impact the wind turbines will have on nearby residents’ health, finances and comfort.

W-E Wind LLC, a private company that led the charge on the project since soon after its inception, released a statement this week to the Grand Forks Herald regarding complaints that the board and others involved in the project haven’t been transparent and haven’t allowed the public to hear details or voice concerns.

“W-E Wind serves as the liaison between our stakeholders and the project’s developer, PRC Wind,” the statement said. “Both parties are engaged in the community in many ways, such as attending local government meetings, hosting meetings in public and having private meetings with all stakeholders that request one. We strive to work together with all stakeholders to come up with solutions to make this project a success for all by abiding by local, state and federal rules and regulations, and by respecting all landowner rights.”

Alex Ingulsrud, senior project developer at PRC Wind, has some answers to resident concerns.

“They’re pretty typical types of concerns,” he said. “Especially some of the wildlife concerns that we hear.”

Ingulsrud said PRC has seen land with turbines sold at a considerably higher value at land auctions, but he hasn’t seen a uniform peer-reviewed study demonstrating decreased property value for land near wind farms. However, the additional investment that projects like Flickertail bring into their communities – like tax benefits for schools and emergency services, alongside long-term jobs – can increase or maintain property values as well as revitalize economic development and activity, he said.

Noise and vibrations from the wind turbines won’t be a nuisance, Ingulsrud believes, as North Dakota has strict regulations for how loud the project design and sound modeling can be.

Turbines also cause less infrasound – a concern he has heard – than what people experience day-to-day while driving vehicles or going about the day with appliances around them. Shadow flicker, the effect of the sun shining through rotating blades, is impossible to completely eliminate, he said, but PRC will comply with best practice standards of the industry and North Dakota Public Services Committee.

In regard to animal safety, PRC has studies performed by third-party wildlife biologists for every wind project to minimize impact. Study results are shared with wildlife agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, which provide feedback to permitting authorities like counties and the North Dakota Public Services Committee. It is a robust process, he said, and any mitigation deemed necessary can be included as a condition for the NDPSC’s approval.

Fite worries about fiberglass coming off the blades and falling to the ground, leading to the possibility of it being ingested by livestock. Ingulsrud said this isn’t typical for well-operating machines and there are very rare instances of blades breaking.

Ingulsrud said reclamation of the area is part of PRC’s responsibilities, and the company does have an insurance policy to cover the costs of the work, covering both PRC and participating landowners. Fite said the fiberglass could fly hundreds of feet away, however.

Concerns about the safety of the turbines themselves, and what would happen if they catch fire or experience another emergency, is something discussed with local and volunteer fire departments to make an emergency action procedure, Ingulsrud said. If additional resources are needed for emergency response plans, operating facilities can hold onto them.

Fite said a concern more directed to the Eddy County Zoning Committee is the zoning for wind turbines. In 2017, the committee decided to change zoning for turbine setbacks from one mile to about 1,400 feet. Fite said that, according to North Dakota Century Code, turbines have to be built three times the tip height away from an inhabited rural residence. Ingulsrud said the turbines, which will be about 600 feet tall, will comply with the code and be about 1,800 feet away. Fite said his issue is more directed toward the committee and the decrease in distance.

Two townships in the project area, New Rockford Township and Grandfield Township, have voted for one-mile zoning, which Ingulsrud said impacted the project and would make the project impossible if implemented through the rest of the project area.

“We’d be reduced to far fewer turbine locations, and it would not be able to meet Minnkota’s demand for power,” he said. “It would be a tiny fraction of what we’ve got today.”