11/25/2009 10:01:00 AM Root River Energy sets up field office in Ostrander
By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy
Barry Rogne wants to harvest an invisible crop, convert it and sell it from a footprint.
"The way I look at it, it's another crop to harvest," said Rogne, speaking of Root River Energy, LLC's mission to build wind towers in western Fillmore and eastern Mower counties to harness the kinetic energy in the ever-present wind.
According to the fall 2009 Root River Energy newsletter, "Root River Energy, LLC, was formed in July 2008 to develop up to 300 megawatts of clean, renewable, community-owned wind energy in Fillmore and Mower counties. Important objectives are now accomplished, helping the project evolve further."
One of those objectives includes establishing a field office in Ostrander, the center of the project's territory, and the energy company chose to occupy an office at the Ostrander Co-op building on the town's main street.
Said fellow Root River Energy representative Jim Connolly, "We're able to catch farmers while they're here with their loads of corn, and the other reason is this office sits about in the middle of the footprint of the project. We're in Bloomfield, Beaver and part of Spring Valley townships, and we've been working in parts of Bennington, LeRoy and Frankford townships, so our footprint expanded there about five months ago. This area here is in the very center, and it makes it nice for us if we want to meet landowners, current and new ones.
"The office also gives a place for the board meetings and informational meetings. We want to get a little more presence, and it shows people we're still here, still active. We also have broken milestones, because we've signed over 21,000 acres of 30,000, so we're a very viable project - power companies look at you favorably after you've signed 15,000 of 30,000 acres."
Rogne stated, "I talked to a landowner yesterday who was busy in the field, but he said he was bringing corn in today, and it worked out really nicely for him to stop in here."
Connolly related that Root River Energy isn't involved in actively persuading landowners to commit to dedicating the approximate half acre plus access to wind tower construction and maintenance, but that whenever a farmer or landowner is willing to consider the idea of allowing wind turbines on their property, the basic information is available at the office. However, Rogne noted, "We may not always be here, because we're going to be out talking with landowners."
The company has made great strides in obtaining land leases for the proposed towers - with the 21,000 acres of a total 30,000 acres to lease being on small plots of 160 and 80 acres - and is about to "break escrow," as Connolly observed.
"There are no towers up on this project yet. We're hoping to have them up in two to three years, but once we get the land leases done, we still have to plan and get permits."
The company plans to build 150 to 200 towers across the total acreage obtained.
The community-owned utility will benefit not only those who lease their land for turbine construction, but also private individuals who choose to invest in the project.
Connolly commented, "Ours is a community-based project that allows landowners to have ownership in the project and not just rent the land out. It also allows citizens in the area to actually invest in the project. The investing is handled by a securities firm. Since it's community-owned, they're not dealing with somebody far away in an office in a metropolitan area. They have people they can go to talk to, which I think is really important."
Rogne said, "All in all, it's been well-received in the community. It's good for the community and the local economy. Our model is different than the corporate structure, and it'll create jobs -construction and maintenance, the landowners investing, and people will be spending that money in the community."
The pair invited interested individuals to stop in at the Ostrander field office and examine introductory information about the tower project, confident that not only will investors and landowners be pleased to participate, but that the earth will profit from a smaller carbon footprint.
To contact Root River Energy, stop in at the Ostrander Co-op at 208 Main Street #4, Ostrander, call (866) 742-6448, log onto the company's website at www.rootriverenergy.com, or call Rogne at (507) 581-6888, or Connolly at (507) 259-8841.
