Harnessing the Wind

By Nick Gevock - 02/03/2008

Riding the same currents that power the turbines, a hawk soars near Invenergy's wind farm near Judith Gap, Montana.

ENNIS — Residents of the Madison Valley often gripe about the persistent south wind, but to Les Brown that stiff breeze is a resource waiting to be tapped.

Brown and his partners in a venture called Madison Valley Renewable Energy are working on a wind energy project in the Norris Hill area on the north end of the valley. They’re hoping that strong breeze will be able to turn enough wind turbines to generate up to 150 megawatts of power.

That’s enough to power up to 45,000 homes. And just as important, the project represents just the type of clean, sustainable forms of economic development that the Madison Valley needs, Brown said.

“I see it as being a major boon,” he said recently in a telephone interview from his office in Los Angeles.

Madison Valley Renewable Energy isn’t the only company eyeing the Norris Hill area for a potential wind farm. Two other ventures — Sagebrush Energy and Coyote Energy — are also exploring whether the area is suitable for wind turbines.

The three companies have been issued permits by the county to put up anemometers in the area.

The instruments collect data around the clock, which is the first step in any wind energy project before investors will get on board.

Madison Valley has already put up several gauges.

But local residents know that shouldn’t be a problem in the Norris Hill area. The grassy hills are wind-swept many months of the year, especially in winter.

The venture has leased nearly 11,000 acres from local ranchers to put up its turbines, Brown said. In addition, Madison Valley recently was awarded a state contract that would allow it to put up towers on 4,000 acres of school trust land.

The company, under the terms of the deal, will have to pay the state 3.1 percent of its revenue from electricity generation. At the same time, the state can continue to lease the land to area ranchers who will be able to keep grazing cattle.

Brown said he sees two major aspects of the roughly $200 million project as economic development.

The first is the initial construction phase, which will provide a shot in the arm. Construction workers, engineers and other technicians will be staying in the Ennis area as the project gets going.

“The immediate impact will be a very large construction project employing quite a number of people to build and improve roads, to put up the towers, to get them running,” Brown said.

Those workers will stay in hotels, eat at local restaurants and use other services. They’ll pump money into the local economy for months.

In fact, they already are. Brown pointed out that just the construction of the test towers required a handful of workers who stayed in Ennis.

That initial surge will last throughout not only the construction phase, but also likely for some time immediately after the towers are put up. The company that manufactures the turbines will likely keep some representatives in the area as well to ensure they’re working properly.

The economic impact, however, won’t end with the construction. Brown said a wind energy project puts people to work long term as well.

A handful of engineers, technicians and other support workers will be needed to keep the turbines operating long term. Those will be good-paying jobs in an area that needs them.

“What we really see is the potential there is to be able to keep some of the people who were born there and left to go to other cities,” Brown said. “It will give them the opportunity to come back and raise their families there.” The economic boost will be felt not only by local businesses, but also local government. The wind energy will boost the tax base, giving county government a boost in addition to the money paid to the state.

Madison Valley Renewable Energy has already made contributions to several civic efforts in Ennis, including donations to the new hospital, library expansion and to the Ennis Chamber of Commerce. The private landowners who have sold leases to the companies will also benefit. Brown said they will receive payments that will help their bottom line, yet will have little effect on their ranching operations.

“You continue to allow the owners of the land to use their land for agricultural purposes — those don’t really interfere at all with the activities that we’re going to do,” he said of cattle grazing near the turbines. That will hopefully allow ranchers to stay on their land, Brown said.

Sam Korsmoe, director of the Madison County Economic Development Council, agreed.

He said one of the best aspects of the wind energy projects was the fact that ranchers will gain another source of income from their land.

“This is just one more thing you can get, which is good because it’s one more thing to avoid subdividing your land,” he said. “For a rancher who has a hard time making it as a cow-calf outfit, you can make money off the wind — that’s remarkable.” Brown added that he hopes other areas of Montana take note of the project. The Treasure State has strong potential for wind energy development that can strengthen the economy and strengthen local communities while preserving what people love about Montana.

“It’s a model,” Brown said. “It protects the great natural resources of the state while at the same time providing for good jobs and a stream of income that will be helpful not only to the community, but the individual landowners.” Reporter Nick Gevock may be reached at nick.gevock@mtstandard.com.