DeWitt wind farm still at least a year away

 

CLINTON — Representatives of a Kansas-based wind farm continue to stay in touch with DeWitt County officials, but a proposed wind farm is at least a year away from breaking ground.

Currently, there are no wind farms based in DeWitt County, but Trade Winds Energy of Lenexa, Kan., began meeting with local officials a decade ago about launching a project. They remain interested.

Jeff Hammond, a project manager for the company, visited with DeWitt County representatives and prospective landowners about a year ago, said DeWitt County zoning administrator Angie Sarver.

 “They keep in touch, but they have not yet submitted any kind of special-use permit with the land use committee, which would enable them to move forward,” she said.

Still, the project is listed as “In development” on Trade Wind Energy’s website as a potential project. According to the company website, about 18,000 acres have been secured involving about 143 individual landowners.

 “Tradewind Energy is in ongoing conversations with landowners in rural DeWitt County regarding the proposed Alta Farms II Wind Project,” said development director Gina Wolf. “We hope to have the opportunity to bring economic development to the area through the potential wind project.”

According to the website, the project would be in western Dewitt County and extend partly into eastern Logan County.

If it is built, power would be sold to regional utility companies and is expected to produce enough power for about 60,000 homes.

Also, according to the website, the project would utilize significant local labor for construction and operations.

When representatives last visited with Sarver and DeWitt County officials, they expressed interest in applying for a special-use permit in the fall of 2017 and beginning construction in the spring of 2018.