As the Elkhorn Ridge Wind Farm north of Bloomfield started construction, a second wind farm just to the north of that project was rumored to be built right on the heels of the Bloomfield facility.
The Crofton Hills Wind Farm has never materialized, although contracts have been signed and initial surveys completed. The construction date is said to be 2010, but no signs of earth movers and diggers can be seen along Highway 12 in the northern edge of the county.
Officials from Juhl Wind Energy, the Crofton developer, said there is no firm date set for the start of construction.
The problem is, time may be running out.
The Crofton project will only be half the size of the Bloomfield system. The proposal calls for 20 turbines with a smaller capacity than the 37 mega-units to the south.
A contract has been signed with the Nebraska Public Power District for distribution of the electricity generated at the smaller plant, but deadlines are drawing near.
“If the Crofton Hills Wind Farm is not constructed by the end of 2010, the power purchase agreement would become void,” said Mark Becker, NPPD media relations specialist.
Unless there are “force majeure” or events that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled, the contract will not be honored if the deadline is not met, Becker said.
NPPD has set a target to add 80 megawatts of wind power every other year through 2020, Becker said. Its target goal is to have 10 percent of its energy resources come from renewable energy by 2020.
When NPPD puts out a request for proposals, developers of wind projects in the state can submit a proposal.
One of those developers is Midwest Wind Energy of Chicago, which is the backer for Elkhorn Ridge Wind farm project.
NPPD also purchases wind-generated electricity from the Ainsworth Wind Energy Project, also operated by Midwest Wind.
Last month, NPPD signed another 20-year contract with Midwest Wind Energy for still another 80-megawatt farm to be built near Petersburg. And Midwest Wind does not intend to stop there.
“We have initial plans for a mega-project to be constructed in Knox County and western Cedar County because the wind is the best in the state there,” said Patrick Dalseth, project coordinator for Midwest.
The proposed North Fork Wind Farm will cover 63,000 acres and hold 400 to 800 turbines. It will be the largest built so far in Nebraska.
But there are obstacles to overcome.
“We are waiting for Legislative Bill 1048 to be passed in the Nebraska Legislature, which will open the doors for the export of wind energy outside of the state,” Dalseth said.
Midwest Wind has plans for exporting the wind generated from the North Fork farm to areas with high population, probably east of Chicago. That is just one piece of the puzzle, Dalseth said.
Transmission lines are another obstacle. The transmission lines in Nebraska are currently owned by NPPD. Dalseth said the current lines are also not capable of carrying the kind of wind-generated energy this mega-project will produce.
Transmission lines are being proposed in neighboring states like South Dakota by private investors who have received some grant money for feasibility studies from the federal stimulus funds of last year.
Midwest Energy may have to build 100 to 150 miles of transmission line so it can hook up to the larger national grid in another state.
Midwest Energy is confident this project will be successful. It has signed cooperative lease agreements with several landowners, which will be in effect for five years.
This will give the energy company some time to conduct further studies. Three meteorological towers have already been erected that confirm what Midwest Energy already knew about this windy part of the state.
Dalseth said his company has the option to renew the lease or drop it. If it is dropped at that point, the landowners will be able to hook up with another wind company if that is what they desire.
