Letter: Setting the wind farm record straight

In an op-ed concerning the approval of a conditional-use permit for ENGIE North America’s North Bend Wind Farm by the Hughes County Board of Adjustment, Maggie Seidel stated, “Careful adherence to the process is critically important to the protection of the taxpayers. Hughes County taxpayers have a right to know what the real economic costs of the project are.”

We agree.

Siting and building a wind farm is a multiyear process that involves numerous government agencies, and the North Bend Wind Farm project in Hughes and Hyde Counties has been no different. ENGIE has taken all necessary actions to be in full compliance with applicable local, state and federal laws and regulations. We believe the county’s vote to grant us the conditional-use permit on July 27, 2022, is a confirmation of our commitment to meeting the local requirements set forth by the county.

Equally important to understanding the scope of operations and costs of wind energy is understanding the opportunities. There’s a reason why wind energy has steadily been gaining traction as an electricity supply source for South Dakota and the nation. It is a clean, local, low-cost, reliable source of power to homes and businesses that delivers substantial benefits to the host communities.

In the case of the North Bend Wind Farm, it will strengthen the county’s tax base and school revenues by approximately $335,000 per year, generate some 400 construction jobs, and create 8–10 permanent operating positions, for which we will be looking for local talent. Meanwhile, ENGIE looks forward to participating in local programs and events in the many years to come, particularly those related to children’s health and education and community culture and well-being.

We think it’s also important to correct certain inaccuracies about wind operations and costs.

The basis in the op-ed for truncating wind turbines’ operating life span by at least 10–20 years while multiplying decommissioning costs is unclear. We base our calculations from our experience with developing, building and operating more than 5,000 MW of wind and solar projects here in North America, including our Triple H project in Hyde County as well as our Dakota Range III project in Grant and Roberts counties.

Decades down the road, if needed, wind turbines and the related equipment can be disassembled, and the majority of their components can be recycled if they can’t otherwise be repaired — up to 95% — all while doing no harm to the land and at no cost to taxpayers. Wind energy developers are required to deposit funds in an escrow account to cover a full facility decommissioning before the project even enters commercial operations as one of many conditions imposed by state regulators.

Lastly, we certainly respect the right of anyone to manage their private property. In the case of the North Bend Wind Farm, there are 40 private landowners who have volunteered to host wind turbines on their private property to generate ongoing wind lease income to strengthen their family futures.

The clean, quiet, autonomous operation of wind farms such as North Bend, combined with the substantial new revenue they bring to the local area — to the benefit of all residents — make them an excellent option for communities to maintain a peaceful environment while enhancing collective economic opportunities, increasing quality of life and providing more funding for roads, schools and community services.

Anthony Crutch
North Bend Wind Farm