Travelers on U.S. Highway 30 in Van Wert County can view the enormous expanse of wind farms (about 200 turbines) to the north of the highway. These turbines can generate 304 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to power over 500 ordinary homes.
In Ohio, how many wind turbines are there?
The windmills will rise approximately 500 feet from the ground to the tip of the turbine, nearly as high as the 555-foot LeVeque Tower in Downtown Columbus.
“There are a lot of consumers who want to see sustainable energy,” said Jason Dagger, the wind farm’s project manager, who lives 75 miles northwest of Columbus.
In 2008, the Scioto Ridge project was planned. The 250-megawatt facility will be capable of powering approximately 60,000 dwellings.
The developer is RWE Renewables, a German electricity business that recently acquired Scioto Ridge from Innogy.
For giving up what amounts to about a half-acre to an acre of land, and for putting up with noise from the turbines and what some consider an eyesore, about 100 farmers and property owners hosting the turbines are expected to receive between $12,000 and $15,000 per year for the life of the project, and more than $1 million in total payments.
Payments of around $2.25 million per year will be split among school districts and other government entities.
Around 150 construction jobs and 10 permanent employment have been created as a result of the project.
Lorne Quay, 55, watches large trucks thunder down his once-quiet road, which is barely wide enough for two vehicles at a moment. His 3-acre home is encircled by three turbines.
Trucks towing the blades and other pieces had to make extra-wide turns, so the firm had to temporarily enlarge highways and crossings.
Farmland has been converted into building grounds, with new gravel roads providing access to each turbine location.
Scioto Ridge’s building is similar to what has occurred everywhere in Ohio in the last decade or so in terms of generating new energy sources.
The fracking boom has altered portions of eastern Ohio as businesses explore for oil and natural gas, while wind farms dot parts of northwest Ohio. Across addition, solar farms are being built in the state.
In an email, Mike Chadsey, spokesperson for the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, said, “All energy sources and the development that comes with them have their hurdles as well as their upsides.”
Oil and gas production, according to Chadsey, makes better use of land than windmills because a smaller area of land may generate the same amount of electricity as hundreds of windmills.
For example, an electric substation was relocated behind a forested area so that a property owner wouldn’t have to stare at it every day.
The American Wind Association’s spokesman, Greg Alvarez, stated, “It is in everyone’s best interest for the development to be a nice neighbor.”
Turbines are getting bigger, so fewer are needed in a farm to generate the same amount of power as before, he said.
The wind business, like the oil and gas industries, sells the economic benefits of its projects to the communities, many of which have experienced decades of population stagnation or decline.
Jerry Stout, 75, who lives approximately three-quarters of a mile from the nearest turbine, stated, “I don’t like them.”
“I told them my way of life wasn’t for sale,” he added, lamenting the turbines’ impact on the area’s natural beauty.
According to the wind organization, wind accounts for only around 1.7 percent of the electricity generated in Ohio, which has 419 windmills, ranking it 24th among states.
The majority of the state’s windmills are located in Paulding and Van Wert counties in the northwest corner of the state. In Hardin County, there is another farm that is smaller than Scioto Ridge.
State regulators have approved a project in Lake Erie, but developers argue the project can’t move forward due of the limits imposed.
Other projects have been proposed, including one in Seneca County, which has received a lot of resistance. Last year, residents wearing yellow T-shirts swarmed the Statehouse in protest of House Bill 6, a contentious bill that offers subsidies for the state’s two nuclear power reactors while also attempting to tighten regulations on wind farms.
Opponents question the turbines’ utility and energy generation. Turbines, they claim, disrupt rural towns’ calm environment and push down property prices.
There have also been complaints regarding noise from the whirling turbines and shadows cast by the blades over time.
According to project manager Dagger, technology now allows for improved control of the turbines’ shadows and noise.
“I completely understand if someone tells me they don’t want to look at a wind turbine,” Dagger remarked. “It’s someone’s opinion, and they have the right to have it.”
According to Jerry Zielke, the county’s assistant economic development director, Paulding County, in northwest Ohio, has embraced the recent boom in turbines.
Farmers in the county were responsible for the original wind development, and major corporations such as Amazon, GM, and Microsoft are interested in purchasing the energy generated by the projects.
Property owners become accustomed to the turbines with time, according to the wind group.
According to a survey conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 92 percent of householders living within 5 miles of a wind turbine either prefer or don’t mind them.
That includes Quay, a 55-year-old who will be compensated by the developer due to the turbines’ proximity to his residence.
“I don’t have any negative feelings toward them,” he stated. “These are preferable to a hog farm.”
In Van Wert, Ohio, who owns the windmills?
Blue Creek Wind Farm is an onshore wind farm in northwestern Ohio’s Van Wert and Paulding Counties. It is the state’s largest wind-based power facility, with a 304MW installed capacity. The $600 million wind project was completed in March 2012 and began commercial operation in June 2012.
The wind farm produces enough renewable electricity to power about 76,000 homes each year. The wind farm reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 1.6 billion pounds a year, the equivalent of taking 114,000 cars off the road.
Blue Creek Wind Farm, a limited liability company controlled by Iberdrola Renewables, a wholly owned subsidiary of Iberdrola, owns and operates the plant.
In Paulding County, Ohio, how many wind turbines are there?
- Three wind farms and 188 wind turbines may be found throughout the county.
- In the last five years, Paulding County has received $1 billion in capital investment.
- Some of the greatest donors are school districts.
Around 20,000 individuals live in Paulding County, which is primarily rural farming. The county seat, Paulding, has a population of only 3,500 people.
However, 188 wind turbines dot the countryside, with 31 more on the way. The enormous fan-like structures have become as much a part of the landscape as the Maumee River.
Jerry Zielke, the county’s economic development director, says, “It’s been amazing here in Paulding County.”
The county receives about $2.5 million per year in pilot payments from wind businesses. When the remaining 31 wind turbines are operational, the total payments to the county will be close to $4.5 million.
It’s been a fantastic financial opportunity for us and our town, and it’s improved Paulding County’s economy tremendously.
Paulding County has witnessed $1 billion in capital investment in the last five years, according to Zielke.
According to information from the Ohio Office of Research, the county has 20,000 residents and 85 percent of the land is used for agricultural. The median household income is $49,866, with a $92,500 median property value.
Setback agreements between landowners and wind corporations, which are private contracts that allow companies to build a wind turbine on someone’s property, amount roughly $6 million every year, according to Zielke.
And once we receive the tax payments for the following two lease installments, it will continue to rise.
There are a total of 188 turbines. Assume each landowner received one turbine (some landowners are likely to have many turbines on their site). With 188 turbines and $6 million, one person in Paulding County may receive a check for $31,914 per year on average, provided everyone is paid the same.
Existing enterprises as well as the three wind farms are included in the $1 billion capital investment.
Lafarge Holcim, a cement manufacturer in Paulding County, has reaped the benefits of a strong economy while simultaneously supplying concrete for the wind turbine foundations. (An Ohio law mandates that energy corporations spend a specific amount of money in the state while constructing projects.) To boost its ability to meet cement demand, the business established a new facility and renovated existing ones.
Other businesses, such as nursing homes and restaurants, have expanded, according to Zielke.
The three school districts in Paulding County, Paulding, Antwerp, and Wayne Trace, are arguably the biggest beneficiaries of the extra revenue.
Because of its closeness to the wind farms, Wayne Trace won the greatest payout in 2018, $989,546.
Wayne Trace Superintendent Ben Winans said the school has employed 18 additional teachers since receiving wind farm funds in 2013. And the result has been overwhelmingly beneficial for students.
Our most recent report card, our GAP closure (helping poorer pupils to succeed at higher levels), increased from a ‘F’ to a ‘A,’ Winans noted.
The instructors have been employed as intervention specialists by Wayne Trace, but Winans said the district is utilizing the strategy of placing them in current classrooms rather than one-on-one learning. The district is preserving money in case the wind farm payments disappear in the future, but Wayne Trace is also repurposing funds that would have gone to teachers and employees.
We’ve been able to use some of the funds that would have been spent on staffing to repair or maintain our campuses, if that makes sense.
Last year, $120,000 in scholarships were awarded throughout the three districts thanks to wind farm funds.
Paulding County’s manufacturing sector is still thriving. Companies are adding roughly 200 positions every year, according to Zielke. At 3.1 percent, unemployment in the county is among the lowest in Ohio.
A lack of population is one of the county’s issues. This, according to Zielke, is largely attributable to a lack of housing.
According to Zielke, Paulding County officials have courted developers from adjacent communities to assist in the construction of homes.
Zielke stated, “We’ve had a talk with the commissioners, my board, and some other parties about the necessity to get the homes built.”
The contracts for the present wind farms are for 20 years, but Zielke believes that because the county and energy corporations have a strong relationship, most of them will be extended.
So it’s not like it’ll just stop when it reaches a certain point. The organizations with which we’re collaborating are doing an excellent job of due diligence and facility maintenance…
The new wind farms will likely bring the total number of wind turbines in Paulding County to 219. It is already Ohio’s largest wind energy producer, and this will simply add to it.
Wind farms will generate roughly 500 megawatts of power each day in the next two years. According to US Department of Energy figures, the Davis-Bessie nuclear facility in Toledo generates about 900 megawatts of power every day.
Not only do the schools get more money, but the county also gets a share of the $2.5 million.
Last year, for example, the library received $57,000. In addition, the health department received a payment of $30,000.
With this new funding source, the county is remaining frugal. County finances, like those of many other local governments, were slashed following the 2008 crisis. Many of the services have been restored thanks to the increased funds.
Because of the recession, the Paulding Courthouse is only open four days a week. It’s now back to five days.
A vision study was also funded by the county to determine what locals want to see in the near future. Improving bicycle and pedestrian mobility, combating poverty, and expanding housing and retail alternatives are just some of the proposals.
Even better, Paulding County did not grant any tax breaks to the energy corporations. They were solely responsible for the wind and the land.
Is Ohio a good place for wind energy?
For more than a decade, energy markets have been shifting toward renewables. Solar and wind power are becoming more affordable as maintenance, compliance, and fuel costs grow for outdated coal and nuclear plants. Ohio’s burgeoning clean energy sector is well positioned to profit from this trend.
Wind energy has the potential to revitalize Ohio’s economy, particularly in rural farming regions. Ohio has the most wind-related industrial locations in the country, and the renewable energy sector surged to an all-time high of 112,000 jobs last year, despite a decline in overall employment in Ohio. That could only be the beginning, as Ohio’s wind power output potential (about 119,000 megawatts) surpasses that of its neighbors.
Despite this solid foundation for a potentially flourishing wind energy economy, Ohio has just 729 MW of installed wind capacity. That’s less than the majority of the states with which we compete. Many states, in fact, are lagging behind us.
Where in the United States is the largest wind farm?
The Roscoe Wind Farm (RWF) is the world’s largest onshore wind farm. It lies 45 miles south-west of Abilene, Texas, in the United States. It is one of the world’s largest wind farms, owned by RWE.
RWF’s installed capacity of 781.5MW surpasses that of the previously largest Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center (735.5MW), which is located southwest of Abilene in Taylor and Nolan counties.
The plant, which was built by E.ON Climate and Renewables (EC&R) of Germany, is spread across 100,000 acres of land largely utilized for cotton production in Mitchell, Nolan, and Scurry counties. Farmers who grow dryland cotton have leased the land.
What do Ohio’s windmills generate?
Ohio has a long history with wind power, with 545 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale wind power projects installed in 2016, accounting for 1.1 percent of all electricity generated in the state. More than 1000 MW of capacity was under construction or awaiting approval. Some of the installations have turned become tourist destinations. The state’s entire wind power capacity was only 9.7 MW in 2010, therefore there has been a significant rise in generating capacity. By 2019, the capacity has grown to 738 MW, generating 1.71 percent of Ohio’s electricity.
Timber Road II, Ohio’s first big wind farm, launched on October 6, 2011 near Payne in northwest Ohio. The 304 MW Blue Creek Wind Farm overtook it in June 2012.
In Indiana, how many windmills are there?
Since 2006, wind energy has been a part of Indiana’s fuel mix, providing manufacturing investment opportunities and a diverse power portfolio.
Wind energy is the process of generating power from wind or air flows in the earth’s atmosphere. Wind turbines take kinetic energy from the wind and convert it into electricity.
HOW DOES WIND GENERATE ELECTRICITY?
When wind passes through a wind turbine, the blades collect the kinetic energy of the wind and rotate, converting it to mechanical energy. This revolution accelerates the rotation by a factor of 100 by turning an internal shaft attached to a gearbox. Diversion facilities are generators that create energy in Indiana.
Did You Know?
- Indiana is home to the fourth largest wind farm in the United States, with over 2,300 MW of capacity.
- With 1,264 wind turbines, Indiana is ranked 12th in the United States.
- With 16 projects in operation, wind generated 6% of Indiana’s electricity in 2019.
- Over 1,100 MW of new wind projects are in the planning stages or are already operational.
WHAT TYPE OF WIND FACILITIES EXIST?
Wind energy can be divided into three categories:
- Utility-scale wind turbines range in size from 100 kilowatts to several megawatts, with electricity transported across the grid via MISO or PJM before being provided to end users by electric utilities.
- Single tiny wind turbines under 100 kilowatts are used to directly power a home, farm, or small company and are not connected to the grid in distributed or “small” wind.
- Wind turbines are placed in huge bodies of water, usually on the continental shelf, for offshore wind. Offshore wind turbines are larger and produce more energy than onshore wind turbines.
What is the location of the Scioto Ridge wind farm?
The 250 megawatt (MW) onshore Scioto Ridge Wind Farm in the United States has begun commercial operation, according to RWE Renewables. The project, which is powered by 75 Siemens Gamesa turbines and is located in Hardin and Logan Counties, is RWE’s first onshore wind project in Ohio.
Scioto Ridge is RWE’s 28th onshore wind farm in the United States, with the capacity to power more than 60,000 homes with sustainable energy.
Because wind power accounts for less than 2% of total electricity output in Ohio, there is a lot of room for future developments. Furthermore, Ohio has a long history of industrial manufacturing, with nearly 52 wind-related factories, the most of any state in the United States.
The United States accounts for more than a third of RWE’s renewables capacity, and it is an important part of RWE’s goal to expand its renewables business. RWE builds, owns, and runs some of the country’s most efficient wind, solar, and energy storage plants.
RWE has also formed New England Aqua Ventus, a joint venture focused on floating offshore wind in the state of Maine.
The RWE Media Centre has pictures of Scioto Ridge for media use (credit: RWE).