Indiana Farmers Rewarded for Use of Wind Power-

Perdue University Extension renewable energy specialist, Chad Martin, explains the rewarding potential that wind power holds for agricultural farmers with extra land to spare, professing that commercial-scale wind farms present rural property owners with the chance to gain residual income as well as produce clean, alternative energy. He considers the wind energy industry a once-in-a-lifetime prospect for the agricultural population, claiming that some farmers are receiving up to $10,000 annually for installing these renewable energy manufacturers on their land. Martin goes on to say that, instead of utilizing land for crops which won’t make too much cash in the long run, farmers should transition to wind energy on their properties which would potentially turn more of a profit. “There aren’t many opportunities that will come along in a generation such as what we’re finding with the wind industry… For the agriculture community, development companies are offering lease payments to farmers for the use of their land for wind farms.”

These payments can help preserve farmland but then, too, help sustain a family farming operation and provide some additional revenue,” said Martin. Utility-scale wind farms are sprouting throughout the Indiana countryside, with more than 310 turbines in two separate counties turning out more than 500 megawatts of renewable electricity per year. Benton and White counties are also currently working to install approximately 175 new turbines, which are projected to produce around 200MW of renewable energy. Corresponding with an American Wind Energy Association report, wind energy capacity and growth is lead by Indiana, which is creating more of an elevated demand in windy areas that are closed to transmission entry. “The base lease payment per turbine has definitely increased,” Martin maintains, “For national average figures, we’re talking $3,000 to $5,000 per year per megawatt of production. And some people are getting up into the $10,000 range per year per turbine.” Wind energy is undoubtedly a worthwhile investment for farmers, especially as green energy credits are becoming easier to obtain with state and federal government loans. “Turbines take about one to two acres of land out of production. So when you’re looking at raising corn as opposed to putting a turbine up on those two acres, there’s no question that there’s more profit potential with the turbine.”