SO. DAKOTA WIND GOES WEST

Western SD First Wind Farm
Austin Hoffman, Janaury 24, 2011 (Keloland Television)

"As energy prices climb higher, more people are looking for green, renewable sources…Renewable Solutions, a Minnesota-based company, is looking at building the first large-scale wind farm, in western South Dakota. The $100 million project would span 9,000 acres and turn up power for an area that can use it.

"Right now it's seemingly endless open prairie, but could soon be home to 27 wind turbines as they crank out 50-megawatts of power. Tom Davis is one of two landowners who have lease agreements for the towers…The main thing Davis is worried about is how his livestock will take to the large spinning windmills. But from what he's seen elsewhere…[he expects] livestock would graze right around them [unbothered]…"



"…Renewable Solutions, the company spearheading the project…[plans] to use local contractors for much of the ground work which would create around 30 jobs…[The project will] create two to five full-time, post-construction jobs. And much of the tax revenue from the turbines would go to local schools.

"The project isn't 100-percent finalized…[N]egotiations over finding a buyer for the power [continue]…[C]onstruction will be next."