We are glad to see the continued efforts to development wind energy in Garfield County.
Enid/Garfield County Development Alliance has received some good feedback from the wind energy forum it held earlier this month. The forum was well attended, and was a great way to get Enid and Garfield County out there to people involved in the industry.
Even before the forum, Garfield County was involved in the industry. Two companies, Trade Wind Energy and RES-Americas, together have leased 100,000 acres from property owners for wind production.
According to Brent Kisling, a wind farm could be an economic boon for the county. A wind farm with 100 turbines would generate some $2 million in property taxes a year that would go to schools and the county.
There also would be the benefit of spinoff jobs related to wind energy, particularly construction and maintenance.
We still are a long way off from having a wind farm here, but we are encouraged by the work done so far. We really like the pro-active nature of the efforts. People involved in economic development in the county aren’t just reacting to what’s happening, they are going out and trying to get things done.