Are International Companies buying up our windrights

There is mounting evidence that foreign national and other international companies buying up US wind rights. Why are we allowing this country to be dependent on other countries again.

Ten years from now we will be dependent on wind power from other foreign nations. Why do we allow this?

this is true.
also start investigating the problems of closeness to transmission lines.
very serious.
joelie

Landowners beware the new topic is wind rights.

The decision of Minnesota to allow the transmission lines creates a new problem.

Should we be allowed to sell our wind rights to foreign investors so we can create a new dependency on foreign companies. Let's not be the laughing stock of the world.

I am aware of at least one company who is rushing to our local farmers to purchase wind rights.

We need to be careful because there proposal may not be in the best interests of the landowner.

Please check and make sure we are not be sold a bill of goods. Different companies make a difference and understand what you are selling and to whom.

The companies who are around here purchasing wind rights are very up front about the fact that they are simply middlemen for a big international company.
Remember that it is not just the wind, but that they will have access to your land.

I am not understanding the importance of this. What do these companies gain?

Does this mean that they own the turbines and they will sell us the power from them?

They pay to lease the land that the turbines and powerlines are on, the companies sell the energy, in this case to a place in the southeast US.
they can have a 40, 50 or whatever year lease. They then have access to the land so they can get to or from the unit.
while i think they might mean well, having anyone, esp. foreign companies have access to our land is something we should think about very seriously.
the companies are also LLCs which means they are limited liability.
Mouthpiece is right, we should be paying attention and be very careful for this and other reasons.

Be vary carefull of groups trying to buy your wind rights, I have talked to many farmers in southwest Minnesota that have sold thier wind rights, and they are not very happy with the outcome after the turbines have been erected.

Your wind rights have a lot of value and that will only increase with time.

Do not let them strong arm you by saying they have bought all of your local land owners wind rights and if you do not sign you will be left out.

Always have a lawyer look at the contract.

You have options, I own my own turbine in a 10 MW project with other local landowners, The local economic value is huge, and the energy dollers stay in Minnesota.

Jeff

could you please write a little more about your conversations w/people in SW MN?
I talked to someone near Lake Benton and they have not signed up and do not ever intend to, they are surrounded by generators, but the wind people still keep offering them more and more $$$.
We too have had some pressure about this. We invited them to speak to our group late last summer, at first they accepted, but then refused. That was the first red flag for us that different people probobly get different stories and different offers.

As I understand the danger in selling wind rights at this time is that there are large sellers who are tying up the wind rights and they are buying wind rights at a low price and selling to oversee investors for a large profit.

The loser is often the landowner.

Please beware of unscrupulous purchasers who are paid by commission by foreign investors.

Land owners educate yourself and hopefully you can be the one making the money instead of sending our money and wind rights overseas.

be very carefull of your wind rights, check out your options.
jeff

The South Dakota State Senate killed any further debate on a bill that would have promoted private wind rights by giving a tax credit. Republicans killed the bill while Democrats voted in support of the legislation.

South Dakota has not passed legislation prohibiting foreign investors from purchasing said rights; even though; there is evidence of continuing confusion to farm families. See above.

What's your take on this Mouthpiece?

There are actually many, many proposals out there for Privately funded and owned transmission lines for wind power. 95% of these will never get past the proposal stage.

In response to the "problem" of foreign companies buying the wind rights, why aren't there US based companies which are willing to pay the same amount as the foreign investors?????? Maybe this is another case where the free market will set the value. We don't need laws for every single problem that comes up.

As far as wind leases go, yes always have your lawyer look at the contract. Most of these are pretty standard, straight forward, and specifically worded so they are pretty easy to understand even for us common people.

Summit Wind has had numerous invitations to talk to our group (Grant County Concerned Citizens) one fellow accepted at first, but then we were told that they wanted to speak with landowners 'privately'.
But this is a neighborhood where the neighbors talk to one another.
We know that they are just the facilitators for Iberdrola, a company from outside the US.
Someone who understands this situation and is a proponent of small wind farms based on the REA/Rural Water type models is very willing to address our group. If anyone is interested e-mail me privately for details.

This was the work of Jbendel who had problems and asked me to assist.

South Dakota Citizens need to convince their Legislators to pass C-BED Legislation. CBED stands for Community Based Energy development. Minnesota has passed the C-BED Tariff, and this helps the local landowners and Citizens to own their own wind project with the help of a Developer that handles Community projects only.

We are so concerned about our independence on foreign energy now as a matter of National Security, Why are we selling our wind right to Foreign Multinational Corporations.

The value of a locally owned Community project is huge for the local economy.

For example, a single 40MW project built in Pipestone County, Minnesota, generates about $650,000 in new income for the County annually. In contrast, 20 locally owned projects at 2 MW each (40 MW total) generates about $3.3 million annually in the same County.

Minnesotans, through the legislature have spoken; we do not want our energy dollars leaving the Country or the State.

Companies are saturating areas that have good yearly average wind speeds and transmission, If you own land near transmission the value of your wind rights should be a lot more , and even more of a reason not to sell your wind rights. Check out www.c-bed.org.

Do not sell your wind rights, or if you want to make SURE you have the contract checked out by a attorney before you sign.

Why we should not sell our wind rights?

I have reviewed the posts from BigStone777 and disagree that the International Companies are paying more. This is very deceptive as seen by the article from Jeff Bendel, see below:

South Dakota Citizens need to convince their Legislators to pass C-BED Legislation. CBED stands for Community Based Energy development. Minnesota has passed the C-BED Tariff, and this helps the local landowners and Citizens to own their own wind project with the help of a Developer that handles Community projects only.

We are so concerned about our independence on foreign energy now as a matter of National Security, Why are we selling our wind right to Foreign Multinational Corporations.

The value of a locally owned Community project is huge for the local economy.

For example, a single 40MW project built in Pipestone County, Minnesota, generates about $650,000 in new income for the County annually. In contrast, 20 locally owned projects at 2 MW each (40 MW total) generates about $3.3 million annually in the same County.

Minnesotans, through the legislature have spoken; we do not want our energy dollars leaving the Country or the State.

Companies are saturating areas that have good yearly average wind speeds and transmission, If you own land near transmission the value of your wind rights should be a lot more , and even more of a reason not to sell your wind rights. Check out www.c-bed.org.

Do not sell your wind rights, or if you want to make SURE you have the contact checked out by a attorney before you sign.

Many times the International Companies sell their rights two and three times producing immediate income for these foreign corporations. This is much like a mortgage from a national company who keeps selling the mortgage. I think we know what happened to the mortgage companies and then the private party has contracted with nobody but their wind rights have been sold.

Who is out? Our local people.

We don't have CBED legislation in SD, it's not even rattling around Pierre with serious support. There a lot of good features to CBED, it's main drawback in sD is that it doesn't exist here. Our micro generation in SD is less than MN, not that our wind is less.

If a big wind project that requires corporate pariticipation pays the land owner a good price, wouldn't that be a good thing? Better than no project at all or better than a project that might come decades from now?

I think that we could have both in Northeastern SD. I am curioius why people are against every project....if the low price of easements is the problem I would appreciate having a number that is high enough....what's price is good enough?

Community wind is great for people that have money to invest in it, but considering the people who have windy land but don't have cash to invest, what price would be a good deal for them? because no wind project means no easement money, please consider that.

Wind resources sounds something like water resources and there are bound to be conflicts between potential irrigation users. The little guy does have to fight smart. Dan Juhl and his team are famous for their smarts and I am betting on them. Waiting till the last minute to file an injunction smells like a dirty tactic. But it's hard to know, I just hope that Valley View gets through this with minimal pain.

I hope that large and small wind projects can co exist in a mosaic , just as I hope large and small farms can do the same. I hope that local government, the County can support it's ruling. Of course wind projects impact each other - even far away we have the butterfly effect. Our farming impacts the adjacent farmers also to different degrees but inescapably there are impacts on the neighbors. We don't often get court orders to stop our neighbors from farming. The County ruled that the impact was acceptable. We should all hope that Valley View can win this court battle.

I'ld like to explain my perspective on waiting for community wind in South Dakota. i have a friend in the hills that's over 70 and struggling to hang on to the ranch for herself and her son. Money to invest in a community wind project is out of the question as it is for many on the Couteau- look at the average farm income in the NASS data. when Envenergy came around with an easement agreement, i was suspicious. When Summit Wind came around other sections with agreements I was suspicious. But instead of generalizing I looked into it, and through my friend saw effects first hand. Summit Wind raised the standard for easement agreements. Then my husband and I and some friends went together and invested in the start up part of the project. We did so not for big profits but because we think it's a good project. In the meantime my friend in the hills started recieving Envenergy payments on an aneomometer(spelling? it's a wind measuring device) and spent that much needed cash on medicine for her son. Whose to say she should have waited for C-BED legislation and then a smaller local project? In South Dakota we also need transmission lines to use our wind resources and the money and resources it takes to build those are pretty hefty. So.....my friend didn't wait. She's in her 70's how long do you want her to wait?

Every project is different. Saying that projects involving big companies don't pay as much as community wind is a generalization. It assumes that a community owned project is on the horizon, which is not the case everywhere, especially where a huge investment in transmission lines is necessary- SD has this problem. A huge investment in the MISO and WAPA studies can arbitrarily double in cost, stuff like that is tough on community wind projects. It's terrible what has happened to some community wind ventures, even in Minnesota. People lose their money when community projects go under, selling an easment to a bigger project is less risky. Sorry for being part chicken. Certainly all of our western wind will not be developed in our lifetimes so a landowner could wait his whole life for an opportunity in community wind that never comes. There are different ways to calculate besides per megawatt also. Income per acre is a classic way to figure the value of agriculture. If the easement payments are decent what's wrong with some big wind ? And how big is big? The lines will soon start to blur as community projects find partners with deep pockets. It all boils down to treating the local landowner fairly.

Oh I hope i don't offend Dan Juhl. I am not trying to offend, just being honest on a blog about a project that touches my friends and family.

People who are against wind power love to say it doesn't pay. And they love to say it's not community wind so it's bad...when they know a community project is not imminent. It's a great tactic to use if you don't want any wind power. My friend in the hills has already heard rumors that farmers on the flats want to hold up the project. She's not to pleased about that.

Say what you like I am honest about my stance and can back up what i've said. I like the way that Summit Wind has done this project. If I didn't like it I would get out. They have a web site [url=http://www.summitwindsd.com/index.html]http://www.summitwindsd.com/index.html[/url]