BUILDING A WIND FARM

The first step to building a wind farm is finding the best location to catch the wind. We initiate a wind resource analysis to identify the best place. We’re looking for average wind speeds above 17 miles per hour.

Transmission of electricity is also a key consideration. It is important that a transmission line be located within a reasonable distance from the prospective area. So when we’re assessing the wind at a particular location, we’re also making sure that we will be able to convey the electricity generated to the main power grid.

When we find the right match of wind and transmission resources, we contact landowners within the prospect boundaries. We’re happy to answer your questions—for example, how royalty payments are calculated, why we’re interested in your land, and the time frame for a project. We also gather feedback on what items need to be addressed at the community and individual levels. Finally, we hand out copies of the proposed option and lease agreement to interested parties.

A Horizon representative negotiates a financial arrangement with the landowner. Meteorological test towers (met towers) are then erected within the prospect boundary to measure the wind resource. Two to five met towers are installed over the entire prospect area for an average project size of 100 MW. Met tower installation does not require any major construction or land disturbance. Depending on the availability of public data, which is used to corroborate on-site test tower data, it can take 6 months to 2 years to verify the wind resource within the prospect area.