We want you to join our team
Message to Land Owners
Higher Power Energy would like you to allow us the opportunity to research placing wind turbines on your land. Our commitment to you and to your land will be represented by a dedicated team member at Higher Power Energy. That person will be at your disposal throughout the entire process, from analyzing your land’s resources through the construction of the turbines and beyond.
Each land owner is provided with a direct contact who is available 24 hours a day to answer any questions and solve any problems. You do not get a corporate office phone number-you get the home and cell phone number of the Higher Power Representative that will always be there for you.
Higher Power Energy is part of the Community
We will answer all your questions face to face, over the phone, or via email. We want this experience to be the best possible. Our goal is to create a long term working relationship that is mutually beneficial for You, Higher Power Energy, the Environment, and the Nation.
As a Land Owner, Am I guaranteed to get turbines?
Unfortunately there is a large amount of planning and coordination to construct a Wind Farm. We will not know for several months to a few years if a wind farm is a viable option. However, for each individual land owner we are making a commitment to you that Higher Power Energy will invest time and financial resources toward pursing this project.
Some of the Many Steps to Wind Turbines
Step 1 The Lease Option
The Lease Option, a commitment between you and Higher Power Energy to allow us to research your land ’s resources. You will be paid a flat per acre fee based on the size of the parcel.
Step 2 Research
The research begins but does not end with these steps:
Wind quality
Wind quantity
Transmission requirements
Environmental studies
Economic studies
Step 3 The Lease
Once we have all our research together we will convert The Lease Option into a lease and begin paying you a flat fee as soon as construction starts for each turbine we intend to build.
Step 4 Construction
Our turbines will be placed on up to 400 foot towers and have the generation capacity of at least 2 Megawatts per turbine. We will work together with you to minimize the impact on your land. You will be compensated for any loss of income due to construction, and your land will be returned to you as fast as possible.
Step 5 Reward
Continued Economic Reward for the Land Owner, Higher Power Energy, the Environment, and our Country
How does a Land Owner get compensated?
We have provided general information below to help you understand how the compensation works. Each project is very unique and we can not address each variable– rest assured that your representative will provide you the exact compensation amounts.
The Lease Option
This lasts for 5 years and may be extended upon agreement. This Option gives Higher Power Energy the option to have access to the land and the option to exercise The Lease. Higher Power Energy’s optimum time frame to exercise the lease is 3 years, depending upon the research time frames to complete all requirements to begin construction. The land owner is compensated per acre for the contiguous farm (i.e. the parcel). Payments are made annually. Your representative will provide you with documentation of the exact dollar amount for the Lease Option.
The Lease Agreement
This lasts for 30-40 years. Payment is made to the land owner based on a base per turbine amount plus a percent of the gross energy produced. An example might be a base payment of 5% of the gross energy produced with the guaranteed minimum payment, regardless of energy produced. Your representative will provide you with documentation of the exact percentage of payment for gross energy produced and the minimum per turbine payment.
Crop Damage
If for any reason your crops are damaged, Higher Power Energy will reimburse you for the damage based on the farm parcel average production for that year.
Meteorological Towers
Some areas will be designated “Wind Test Areas” and Higher Power Energy will construct “Met Towers” on certain selected areas. These Met Towers are 300 feet high and the guide wires extend 300 feet in circumference. There is specific compensation for each Met Tower per year. Crop Damage and Loss is included with the per year amount.
Some Common Questions
How much can I make by letting HPE put wind turbines on my land?
That depends on many factors. For each turbine HPE will pay a fixed base sum followed by a percent of the gross wind generated energy which ever is greater. So you will be guaranteed a base amount that can only go up if the gross energy produced is greater. Please give us a call to find out if your land is viable for a wind farm.
How many turbines can I put on my land?
That also depends but a good estimate is one turbine per 80-100 acres.
Do I have land a developer wants?
We look for good wind and good access to transmission lines. There also must be access for cranes and large equipment. Wind is essential and rough land slows down the wind even well above buildings and trees.
How much will this cost me?
That is the good part. The developer, us, will pick up all the cost. There is no cost to you the landowner. We even pay for any crop damage that may occur during construction.
Can turbines be placed on CRP?
Yes, the land that is used for the turbines and access roads will need to be removed from the CPR contracted area.
How much does a wind farm cost?
A good guess is about 3 million dollars per megawatt for a finished wind farm.
How much money does a wind farm generate?
A 1.5-MW wind turbine will produce approximately 5,000,000
kWh per year-Enough to power about 500 homes. At
$0.04/kWh, the turbine would earn $200,000 per year in gross
revenue.
Who owns the wind farm?
All the investors own the wind farm generally including the developer. The developer, HPE, is your direct contact.
Are the wind mills (turbines) noisy?
That depends on many things standing under one you can hear a noticeable swoosh.
How do these things work?
Wind turbines are highly advanced and contain several computer controls. This is generally what takes place;
When the wind speed is above the “cut-in speed,” the turbine blades will be powered up to operating speed and start making electricity. As the wind speed increases, the generator output increases and the blades change to keep this constant speed. If the wind speed keeps increasing to a point that is too fast the brakes are applied and the blades stop moving. Then the blades will “feather” and turn into the wind to alleviate any wind pressure on the blades. If the wind speed drops to a level below the cut-out speed for a sufficient length of time, the turbine will point itself back into the wind and the entire process starts again.