BP Soliciting Wind Energy Leases NW Ohio

BP Wind Energy is a principal owner and operator of wind power facilities with interest in eight operating wind farms.  BP Wind Energy has a gross generating capacity of more than 1,200 megawatts, enough to provide leecticity for a city the size of Washington DC. BP Wind Energy has a presence in California, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, South Dakota, Idaho and Texas.  BP is looking to expand their presence to Ohio.

This meeting was sponsored by Ohio Farm Bureau provide information on community responsibilities and potential benefits of wind energy. Ohio Farm Bureau has presented 90 wind/alternative energy meetings throughout Ohio in the past 12 months.

Wind energy was never designed to be a stand-alone energy production technology.  It is part of a diversified energy plan that is being developed on a regional, statewide and multi-state energy strategy. Wind energy is expected to produce five percent of the nation’s electricity by 2020; twenty percent by 2030.

The Ohio Power Siting Board has made available an interactive map of wind resources for Ohio. The interactive map is available at http://maps.opsb.ohio.gov/windmap/default.aspx

According to Ohio Farm Bureau and BP, there are some direct economic benefits:

• Land lease payments $7,000/MW/year (MW = megawatt) – Ohio Farm Bureau Data
• Short term jobs = 15 per MW –  Ohio Farm Bureau Data
• Long term jobs = 0.6 per MW – Ohio Farm Bureau Data
• 1 MW = energy production for 300 standard homes – BP Data

This is the same BP as the oil company. In 2006, BP decided to venture into the renewable energy business. Their projects are a mix of wholly-owned and partnership ventures.  In Ohio, BP is targeting 200 MW for Phase I.

According to the BP representative the Fowler, Indiana BP project is 600 MW and supports roughly 50 full-time employees.

BP is examining the southern part of Van Wert County, in NW Ohio and will be securing approximately 15,000 acres.

Wind Turbine Public Hearing for Iberdrola Renewables in Ohio — Pros and Cons

On July 8, 2010, approximately 120 attended a public hearing for Heartland Wind Energy project in rural Van Wert County.  This was a legal hearing, and anyone wishing to give testimony had to raise their right hand and swear that the testimony given will be the truth. Prior to giving testimony, individuals also had to state whether there residence is or is not in the project area.

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According to Iberdrola Renewables, the company financing this wind project, the project in Van Wert and Paulding County has a scope of 159 wind turbines, which will provide about 80,000 houses with electricity.

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According to the official records on file with the Ohio Siting Board:

Heartland Wind, LLC is proposing to construct, own and operate up to 350 MW of wind-powered electric generation in Van Wert and Paulding counties.  Heartland Wind, LLC is managed by Iberdrola renewable, Inc.  The facility would require up to 175 wind turbine generators that would be located within a 40,500-acre project area.  Approximately 140 participating landowners would provide about 17,000 acres of leased land.  The application was filed on December 21, 2009.

All the official documents are available at http://dis.puc.state.oh.us/CaseRecord.aspx?CaseNo=09-1066

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Why wind energy? Well, one reason is that Ohio has a mandate (ORC 4928.64):

• 25% of electricity shall be provided from Alternative Energy Resources by 2025
• Half of the 25% may be advanced energy resources (improved process or equipment, or clean coal technology)
• At least half of the 25% renewable energy resources including 0.5% solar

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Random fact: In Ohio, the wind turbine must be a minimum 750 feet from horizontal extended blade tip to nearest residence.

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Testimony was polarized, and fell into two categories. The numbers I present below aren’t official; they may or may not be accurate (they should be fairly close, though). The bullet points below are recorded as I recall from the given testimony.

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Pro testimony (n = 10):

8- residence NOT in wind project zone

2- residence IN wind project zone

• economic development
• job creation
• progress and new industry
• will benefit county coffers, townships, state
• environmental impacts negligible
• stop sending energy dollars overseas (reduce reliance on foreign energy)
• supports green, clean, renewable energy
• benefits far outweigh any negative impacts
• $1.5 million per year to farmers in annual payments
• can help preserve agricultural ground for agricultural use
• 215 new construction jobs
• 20 permanent high paying maintenance jobs created
• local career center has a wind energy education program
• our power needs are increasing, wind turbines help meet that power need

Con testimony (n = 8):

3- residence NOT in wind project zone

5- residence IN wind project zone

• degradation of quality of life
• obstructed views
• disruption of bird life, bird migratory patterns
• several references to scientific studies on the negative health effects (sorry, I don’t have the references — my fingers are too slow)
• the project was referred to as ‘industrial’, ‘commercial’
• sleep disturbance
• shadow flicker, strobing
• property value declination
• wind project is highly subsidized
• local contractors won’t be used
• poor television reception
• health effects on children
• infrasound (below limit of hearing) has a human health effect
• noise sounds like jet engines
• ice throw
• blade shear
• we’re not reducing foreign energy
• very inefficient source of energy