Iowa Wind Farm To Be Economic Boom

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Iowa Wind Farm To Be Economic Boom

GREELEY, Iowa -- Officials gathered Wednesday to break ground for Iowa's newest wind farm and, ironically, a bitterly cold wind cut the ritual short.

The actual groundbreaking for Elk Wind Farm, on a barren hill west of Greeley, lasted only 10 minutes -- just enough time for brief speeches and picture posing. Those in the shivering crowd packed up and headed a few miles north to Edgewood where, over a hot lunch provided by the wind farm builders, they heard from state, county and local officials and those who will build and buy power from the wind farm.

"This is a huge economic boon to Delaware County," Supervisor Jerry Ries said of the project that will bring scores of workers in to construct and erect 17 wind turbines beginning in May. The turbines will be scattered over 3,000 acres of corn and soybean fields, with each taking about three-quarters of an acre out of production.

The project developers, RPM Access, have until now only developed wind energy projects for other energy firms. Elk Wind Farm will be the first that the company will own and operate. It took changes in federal alternative energy incentives


 
to make it possible for smaller companies like RPM Access, said company president Steve Dryden.

"Why did we choose Delaware County?"

"We looked at the transmission grid, honed into this area and looked at the wind and this site popped out at us," said Dryden, who promised that the company's first wind farm "will be done well."

He also thanked the multiple landowners who welcomed the wind farm project by allowing paid easements on their fields, not just for the turbines to be built, but to ensure no obstacles to wind flow.

Bob Holtz farms 260 acres west of Greeley. His farm has been in his family for a century. He turned over use of 3 1/2 acres for the wind farm.

He doesn't quite know what to expect next summer when tall, graceful white wind turbines start sprouting up over the countryside.

"Well, it's something kind of new for this area. I imagine there'll be a lot of strangers looking around," he said.

A local banker agrees with Holtz.

"This should attract a lot of attention to our area, from people interested in wind farm projects," said Steve Brady, president of Community Savings Bank and an Edgewood native.