By Amanda Fry, Platte County Record Times

As plans for wind energy development in Platte County and Southeast Wyoming continue, landowners still maintain a vital role in the process of finding the best way to establish wind farms and transmission lines in the area. There are currently several avenues for public involvement in the process of wind development. These include landowner associations, citizen input to public officials, and the recent formation of a wind association alliance in Southeast Wyoming.

There are currently 12 wind energy associations in Southeast Wyoming. Members of the association group their lands in order to market larger blocks of land to potential wind developers. Dan Kennedy, Chairman of the Chugwater Wind Association, said there are “definite pluses” for members of association, as opposed to private landowners individually marketing their land. He said in an association setting, landowners have a more of a say as to what will happen to neighboring lands, and there is more control over where the wind turbines go in relation to the different members.

Chugwater Wind Association is currently in the final stages of signing a contract with a wind development company. According to Kennedy, three-fourths of the Chugwater Wind Association have signed the contract, and the remaining fourth of the members are planning to.

Kennedy said the general reaction to wind energy in his area has been positive. “I think everybody in our association, which is almost… all the landowners in my area… they are pro-wind.” He did add, however, that the result of constructing wind farms in the area was one that was largely unknown.

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