Earth Equity News

Wind-Farm Contracts Stir Up Questions in Nebraska and Iowa. By Elizabeth Ahlin, Omaha World-Herald, October 16, 2008."Wind farms are relatively new in Nebraska and southwest Iowa. As the industry grows, more and more landowners in the region are being asked to lease their land and wind rights to wind energy companies... 'Read the fine print and hire a knowledgeable lawyer,' said Roger McEowen, director of the Iowa State University Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation. Too often, landowners hear a sales pitch and sign a contract without reading it... A wind energy company approached Greenfield, Iowa, farmer Clark BreDahl and his neighbors in Adair and Union Counties last year. They initially were offered 50-year contracts with a 2 percent annual increase in the lease payments - less than the average inflation rate. The lease could be terminated by the wind company with three months' notice but not by the landowner. And, to top it off, the contract contained a confidentiality clause, ensuring that neighbors couldn't compare offers... BreDahl eventually decided to form a collective with his neighbors and hire an attorney to negotiate with the wind companies. Some neighbors were worried about losing the opportunity and signed contracts. Most did not, and after negotiating with three different companies, the group of almost 60 landowners found a contract they thought was fair."