[Carpenter] Mystic Plains Wind Energy

Tue Jun 17 07:59:14 CDT 2008

Wayne, Frank, & others ....  a couple of items worth sharing:  

Key MDC staff will be meeting with Tradewind Energy to discuss prairie
chickens and other conservation issues important to the Mystic FA.    At
this point, I'd describe these conversations as "engagement" as we learn
about the Tradewind proposal, and as Tradewind learns of concerns,
siting issues etc.  Bottomline, dialogue is underway.  

On a related item, DNR's Energy Center will be holding a series of
public forums this summer to discuss the state's wind 
energy potential and the issues associated with wind energy.  Details
on participation (live video conference or via computer) are in the
release attached below.  MDC's Doyle Brown serves on the Center's
Steering Committee and has been involved in getting Dr. Dale Strickland
to provide a national overview of issues regarding bird and bat
conflicts with Wind Development Projects.

I suspect several of you will wish to participate.

Dave Erickson
Assistant Director
Missouri Dept. of Conservation
P.O. Box 180 
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180

(573) 522-4115 Ext. 3217
FAX (573) 751-4467

>>> "Frank Oberle" <foberle at nemr.net> 6/16/2008 7:28:36 AM >>>
Wayne,
   If the buyer of this wind energy is a Missouri based company with
concerns and interest for conservation priorities here in Missouri, I
would hope friends of the Mystic Focus Area would write this energy
company and express "known facts" insofar as the deleterious effects of
placing towering wind turbines in crucial prairie chicken habitat.
However, I'm not sure what the real facts are and what science based
research is readily available to quote. We need quotable truths and
known data to be effective with our passion as advocates for prairie
chicken sustainability. Listen Wayne, I know we need wind energy and we
need to support alternative forms of green energy, but it seems this
company--Trade Winds--is moving without engaging the conservation
community's input and moving on with their feelings of what and where
the mills should go.            Frank
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: wayne morton 
  To: Ted Cooper ; Steve Mowry ; Steve Heying ; Mike Currier ; Linda
Tossing ; Kelly Srigley-Werner ; John Burk ; Jim Wildman ; George Seek ;
Denny Donnell ; David Erickson ; Andrew Forbes ; Alan Leary ; Amy
Buechler ; Susan Hazelwood ; Charley Burwick ; Justin Johnson ; Bill
White ; Dave Murphy ; John Hoskins ; Carpenter Prairie in the Mystic
Plains COA ; Frank Oberle 
  Sent: Monday, June 16, 2008 3:33 AM
  Subject: Re: Mystic Plains Wind Energy

        Hi Frank,   This is scary. If they use the ridge tops the
chickens also use [as I understand they plan to do] this could mean the
end of prairie chickens in the Mystic area. Also considerable damage to
bats and probably migratory and other birds. Can any of our
organizations or MDC do anything about this?   Wayne

        --- On Sat, 6/14/08, Frank Oberle <foberle at nemr.net> wrote:

          From: Frank Oberle <foberle at nemr.net>
          Subject: Mystic Plains Wind Energy
          To: "Wayne Morton" <wayne2946 at yahoo.com>, "Ted Cooper"
<ted at tswllc.com>, "Steve Mowry" <stevem4444 at aol.com>, "Steve Heying"
<ashlandbrdman at yahoo.com>, "Mike Currier" <Mike.Currier at dnr.mo.gov>,
"Linda Tossing" <Ltossing at aol.com>, "Kelly Srigley-Werner"
<Kelly_SrigleyWerner at fws.gov>, "John Burk" <jburknwtf at ktis.net>, "Jim
Wildman" <jwildman at tnc.org>, "George Seek" <seekg at grm.net>, "Denny
Donnell" <hddonnell at hotmail.com>, "David Erickson"
<David.Erickson at mdc.mo.gov>, "Andrew Forbes"
<andrew.forbes at mdc.mo.gov>, "Alan Leary" <alan.leary at modot.mo.gov>,
"Amy Buechler" <abuechler at confedmo.org>, "Susan Hazelwood"
<hazelwoods at mchsi.com>, "Charley Burwick"
<burwick.charles at sbcglobal.net>, "Justin Johnson"
<missouriprairie at yahoo.com>, "Bill White" <bill.white at mdc.mo.gov>,
"Dave Murphy" <dmurphy at confedmo.org>, "John Hoskins"
<john.hoskins at mdc.mo.gov>, "Carpenter Prairie in the Mystic Plains
COA" <carpenter at mysticplains.org>
          Date: Saturday, June 14, 2008, 2:12 PM

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                      Sullivan Co. wind project hinges on tax breaks

                      By Dana Jay
                      Posted: Friday, June 13, 2008 at 12:14 p.m.

                      MILAN, MO. -- Landowners in Sullivan and Adair
Counties stand to make a lot of money if Tradewind Energy decides to go
ahead with the Shuteye Creek Wind Project and build wind turbines on
their land.

                      However, the company won't build if it doesn't
win a contract with Ameren UE, and the development manager says they
can’t win the contract without some big tax breaks.

                      Wednesday the Sullivan County Commission held a
meeting to discuss just how many tax incentives it wants to give the
company.  Some elected officials were torn between bringing in the new
business and giving away the tax base.

                      According to Tradewind Energy development manager
Rod Northway the company would pay approximately 60 landowners between
$800 thousand and $1.6 million in royalties by the time the project is
complete.

                      One landowner tells us her family stands to
receive about $6,750 dollars per turbine the company builds on their
property.

                      That money will come back to the county
eventually, says Presiding Commissioner Chris May.

                      “Typically farmers spend their money, and it
circulates pretty quickly, and we look at that as an advantage,” May
said.

                      Northway adds that the project would also create
up to twelve new jobs and up to 600,000 payroll dollars.

                      Despite the payments to landowners and new jobs,
some elected officials and community members expressed concern that the
commission would give Tradewind too many tax breaks.

                      "I would like to see the whole county benefit,
not just a small portion of the county," Sullivan County resident Culley
Cowgill told KTVO after the meeting.

                      That sentiment is echoed by County Clerk Mike
Hepler, who notes that Tradewind’s competitor is paying twice as much
to a neighboring county.

                      “If this project was sitting in Gentry County
and was assessed and taxed in the same manner it would be coming in at
almost six million dollars per year in local property tax,” Hepler
said.  He’s proposed that Tradewind pay Sullivan County $2.7 million
per year.

                      “I’m not against [the project] in any way,
shape or form.  I am against giving away the tax base,” he said.  In
his opinion that’s what would happen if Tradewind paid any less.

                      “Every time you give away tax, you cost [the
county] money, services or combination of both,” Hepler said.  He says
he’s concerned about the county’s return on investment.

                      But the presiding commissioner is confident that
offering big tax breaks is better than offering no tax breaks and
driving the company away. 

                      "We hope that at the end of the day, we have some
type of agreement that a substantial amount of money is coming in that
at least would prevent anyone from having to raise a levy," Mays said.

                      The wind in Sullivan County could create
renewable energy for years to come, but the opportunity to bring
turbines to the Heartland is not open ended.

                      May hopes a committee of representatives from
several taxing districts including the townships where turbines would be
located, the library, the hospital, and others will reach a consensus on
how much the county is willing to offer in the next couple of weeks.

                      “There's a sense of urgency, so we would hope
that in two months or so we'll come to a conclusion on what [we’ll
offer,]" May said.

                      Tradewind representatives hope the county will
come to a conclusion sooner or later.

                      Wind energy is renewable; the demand for it is
finite.  Missouri utilities are only obliged by law to purchase a set
amount of wind power.   So, if Tradewind does not win a contract with
Ameren UE as it hopes, it could miss out on the opportunity to sell the
wind energy altogether. 

                      Tradewind also plans to build turbines in Adair
County.  Representatives have yet to meet with commissioners regarding
tax breaks, but a Northway says he plans to do so in the near future.

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                      Nuclear Anyone?
                      Wind energy is a pipe dream. A fleeting disaster
of a plan for alternative energy. We should be building more nuclear
reactors, it is the cleanest, safest, and most efficient form of energy
production that we know of today. Giving this company huge tax breaks is
like a slap in the face to every taxpayer in Missouri. Government
subsidies are EVIL.

                      - Tony P, Kirksville

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