By MEGGIE I. FOSTER
Assistant Editor FOWLER, Ind. — Within a few months, the farm landscape of Benton County, Ind. will include much more than rolling farm ground, woodlands and Hoosier homes.
By the end of 2008, BP Alternative Energy and Dominion Resources will speckle the northern Indiana county with 222 giant wind turbines expected to generate enough energy to power thousands of homes surrounding the farm oasis of Fowler, Ind.
During a turbine blade signing ceremony on May 29, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels joined executives from BP Alternative Energy, Dominion, state and local elected officials, landowners and community leaders to celebrate the construction of the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm on 50,000 acres in Benton County. The project includes lease agreements with 285 landowners near the farm community of Fowler. Officials confirmed that local farmers will continue to farm the ground surrounding the footprints of the towering wind turbines.
“Indiana is becoming a leader in clean energy production, including wind, clean coal technology, biofuels and other alternatives,” proudly stated Gov. Daniels during the large ceremony with over 400 in attendance.
“America needs more homegrown energy from every source, and the greener the better.”
“This is what needs to happen across the nation, we are beginning to solve the economical and national security issues of our energy situation,” said U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Merrillville, Ind.), who commended the project on creating new jobs, meanwhile leaving a “low carbon footprint.”
“This is not some token test project, this will be one of the biggest wind farms in the continental United States,” Daniels said as he concluded his comments. “People will say Indiana is ahead of the game in alternative energy innovation with tremendous movement in wind power and I’m going to tell them it started in Benton County.
Power from wind When in full operation, the Fowler Wind Farm is expected to be one of the largest wind power facilities in the world and will generate enough carbon-free electricity to power more than 200,000 average American homes, according to BP press officer Tom Mueller.
“The Fowler Ridge Wind Farm is just one example of BP’s continuing effort to expand and diversify U.S. energy supply,” said Bob Malone, chairman and president of BP America. “This year we will invest more than $6 billion in U.S. energy projects with about 10 percent going to wind and solar power and biofuels research. By year end, we’ll have a 1,000 megawatts of wind power online with plans to double that in two years.”
Located about 90 miles northwest of Indianapolis, Ind. the Fowler Wind project will be built in multiple phases. The first phase, expected to be operational by the end of 2008, will utilize 222 wind turbines, producing 400 megawatts of energy.
With the first phase well under way, assistant site construction manager Tharon Anderson said it takes nine semi trucks to haul in one, single wind turbine, followed by nearly 45 trucks of concrete to pour a 50 foot in diameter foundation and an 8 foot in diameter pedestal.
“We started on this project in March, but with all the rain we are now several weeks behind,” said Anderson. “However, now we are ready to start erecting the turbines next week.”
Building the turbines is only the beginning, officials confirmed during the ceremony, that Dominion and BP are partners for 650 megawatts of the 750 megawatt site, with BP retaining sole ownership of 100 megawatts. Phase two is expected to generate an additional 350 megawatts of energy, bringing the total project output to 750 megawatts. Construction of the second phase will likely begin sometime in 2009.
“The Fowler Ridge project is a vital part of Dominion’s growing portfolio of wind and other renewable generation,” said Thomas F. Farrell, Dominion’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “It is also a growing part of our presence here in the Midwest.”
Quite different from traditional windmills, power from the Fowler wind turbines that measure 262 feet tall with the rotor diameter of the blades at 269 feet, takes on a much larger scale.
To capture power from the giant wind turbines, BP and Dominion have entered into three long-term contracts, two each for 100 megawatts with Indiana Michigan Power and Appalachian Power, both subsidiaries of American Electric Power and one contract with Dominion Energy Marketing for 200 megawatts.
“Our goal is to maintain a diversified portfolio of energy, since half of the power in the U.S. is coal, we need to make up for the remainder through natural gas, nuclear power, and alternative energies generated by wind, solar, methane and biomass,” said Mike Brian, state corporate communications manager for Indiana Michigan Power, who believes the U.S. is “on the cusp of a fascinating movement in energy.”
Local benefits Benton County Councilmen Bruce Buchanan confirmed that the Fowler Wind Farm will have a huge effect on local services with approximately 350 workers employed by the project during peak construction and a full-time staff of more than 12 workers who will monitor and maintain the site after phase one has become fully operational.
“This is the biggest thing to happen to our community,” boasted Buchanan. “We’ve always felt blessed here in Benton County, we have a great plot of land to live and farm on, now we’ve just found another great crop to harvest.”
Representing a host of proud community members and landowners Mel Budreau, president of the Benton County Commissioners, said “Benton County is poised to become No. 1 in high tech wind energy by delivering clean and renewable energy to over 200,000 homes. I am tremendously proud of this project and I am tremendously proud to call Benton County home.”
The warm, May-day event concluded with a ceremonial signing of two of the giant wind turbine blades, beginning with a congratulatory note written at the base of the blade by Gov. Daniels. |
