750 MW wind farm development announces public offering

July 18, 2008   by Jozef Winter

A lot of us would love to get our hands on wind power, but if we can’t put it in our own back yards, there’s generally not much we can do, other than investing in an energy company that has a small portion of its electrical generation from wind. There does seem to be another option, though, with the growing reality that is the community-owned wind farm. Groups like Windshare have been producing clean energy for years with a few turbines and interest (and community profit) are growing. Another such group, Dakota Wind Energy, based in South Dakota, has announced a major development underway for which it is offering up securities to the public (though only in SD) who will open up their land and grant wind-related rights to them.

Their planned wind farm will generate a massive 750 MW of power, and will be built in 100-150 MW phases, the first of which will begin construction within 3-5 years. Those who allow their land to be used or are under the “turbine footprint” could get a traditional cash payment, though the securities offer a much greater benefit. A wind turbine need not even be placed on ones property to receive the shares, so everyone in the community can participate and has a vested interest in the continued operation and success of the plan. This potential galvanization of the inhabitants of the region could remove the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) state of mind, especially when the turbines (whether seen as ugly or not) bring a financial return with what is essentially no capital investment on the part of the owners. Not a bad deal.