Montana Wind Farm

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By The Associated Press & Jared Bray

Story Published: Dec 1, 2009 at 1:40 AM MDT

Story Updated: Dec 1, 2009 at 11:36 AM MDT

BILLINGS - Central Montana will be home for a new wind power project.

A Minnesota company is partnering with Montana Wind Resources of Billings for the project, which is expected to be built over the next 5-to-8 years.

Landowners in Fergus, Wheatland, Judith Basin and Golden Valley counties are expected to share in the revenue it generates. The wind farm is slated to produce more than 500-megawatts of electricity, enough to power 150,000 homes.

"These ranchers for years have been living on this land, fighting the wind and it's been a trial for them, having all this wind blow across their land. Well, now they get to benefit from it," said Rhyno Stinchfield.

Stinchfield also said some of the electricity will be used within the state, while the majority will be exported to California.

Tuesday, Dec 1 at 3:36 PM KMS wrote ...

Dead on Mt View. Heck, if they paid me directly a percentage of the proceeds, and rent, I'd let them put one on the hill I live in in Emerald Hills. The wind usually comes from one direction, and we end up with 70 mph gusts- at least. Strong enough to knock a LARGE Stainless BBQ over with propane tank at least, which has to be faster then 70 mph at my guess.

Tuesday, Dec 1 at 11:18 AM Mountain View wrote ...

I am interested in learning how this in fact works. NWE does NOT have to pay private land owners for the energy they generate, they only have to give back CREDITS, which are far from $$$$. Oregon requires their electric company to PAY, CASH to the land owners that generate energy and put it back into the grid. If MT had this, MANY, MANY more of us would have wind, solar, geothermal, etc installs across the state.

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