How will wind energy benefit local agriculture and landowners?
The local economy is centered around agriculture. For farmers and ranchers, wind can be harvested like another crop. Wind energy provides additional, yearly income which increases financial security for landowners and can help keep generational land in the family. Wind turbines and their access roads use only a small portion of the leased area so farmers can continue to grow crops or raise livestock.
Landowner lease payments provide a local revenue source that is able to be reinvested into the local economy. Every year, wind farms pay $706 million in landowner lease payments.
Learn more from our source material here.
How will wind energy benefit the community?
Wind energy is a key part of the United States energy mix and is driving economic growth, especially in rural communities. While the energy may not flow directly into your homes, you will see the direct benefits of the project including:
- Job growth: Wind projects create hundreds of jobs during manufacturing, construction, and service. Currently, there are 120,000 Americans employed in the wind industry.
- Local spending: Projects partner with local businesses and suppliers and provide steady lease payments to landowners that are reinvested in the community. Additionally, construction can last for a year, resulting in a boost to hotels, restaurants, and service providers in the local area.
- Increase in tax revenue: Each year, wind projects pay over $1.6 billion in tax and lease payments to state & local governments and landowners, which continue throughout the project’s lifespan. The increase in tax revenue will assist in maintaining a thriving community for generations to come and provide long-term funding for schools, hospitals, and more.
Learn more from our source material here.
How many taxes will a Steelhead project drive?
Each year, wind projects pay over $1.6 billion in tax and lease payments to state and local governments and landowners, which continue throughout the project’s lifespan.
Typically, wind projects create an average annual payment of more than $7,000 per megawatt of wind capacity. With this local tax revenue, communities can build new schools, enhance community infrastructure, and have more resources for local governments and organizations. Learn more about wind energy’s economic impact here.
What streams of direct and indirect revenue will a Steelhead project generate?
In terms of direct revenue, Steelhead projects can drive millions of dollars in tax revenue, which can be used for local schools, government and organizations, and area infrastructure. The tax revenue will be long-term, lasting throughout the wind project’s lifetime.
In terms of indirect revenue, most of the economic boost will come from the project construction phases. During construction, Steelhead aims to partner with local contractors and suppliers who are experts in the area. Also, more developers and construction workers will be coming into the community, meaning more revenue towards local hotels and restaurants. It’s a small but meaningful boost to the local hospitality industry.
Where will the revenue be allocated in the community?
New tax revenue from a wind project can flow towards a number of community uses. While I currently can’t give specifics about where taxes will go in your community, they often go towards area schools, local government initiatives, local organizations and nonprofits, or local facilities and infrastructure.
As Steelhead gets to know your community and its specific needs better, we can work together to determine where tax revenue can be best put to use.
Will surrounding property values decrease?
There’s a common misconception that wind projects cause surrounding property values to decline. Multiple studies have found no statistical evidence that operating wind turbines have had any measurable impact on home values or sales prices.
In fact, certain factors of wind projects can actually positively impact nearby property values. Wind projects benefit property owners and communities through landowner payments and increased tax revenue. Wind farms pay millions of dollars in local property taxes which can be used to invest in roads, schools, and community services, without raising taxes on the community.
To learn more, view our source material here:
I don’t believe in climate change, so why are we investing in wind power?
Renewable energy is more than just taking advantage of the earth’s natural resources to make affordable, clean electricity. By investing in wind energy, the Americans can decrease our reliance on limited sources of energy and create a diverse portfolio of homegrown, reliable energy.
Wind energy also boosts the American economy and creates local jobs. Currently, there are 120,000 Americans employed in the wind industry and this is expected to grow to more than 600,000 jobs by 2050. In fact, a wind turbine technician is one of the fastest growing jobs in the country.
Wind farms pay millions of dollars in property taxes to counties. The increase in tax revenue can be allocated to local schools, libraries, first-responders, and more.
Learn more from our source material here.
How many full time and part time jobs will this project create?
Wind projects create hundreds of construction jobs as well as long-term jobs in the community. We usually recommend one service technician per every ten turbines and typically 200-300 jobs are created during construction.
While I don’t have an exact number of jobs needed for this project at this time, I expect similar numbers and will be sure to provide any updates.
During construction, can you guarantee that you will only hire locally?
We try to partner with local workers, businesses, and suppliers as much as possible. Not only are there economic advantages to sourcing local materials and workers, it also helps us understand community perspectives and incorporate community interests into the project.
