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Many people write and say that they have a lot of land that they think would be ideal for wind power and want to know where to start.
When establishing wind farms, wind energy developers generally approach landowners where they want to build. Interest in wind farms is frequently spurred by external pressures such as tax and other financial incentives and legislative mandates. Since each situation is influenced by local policies and permitting, we can only provided general guidance to help you understand the process of installing wind turbines. Some of the following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.
Publications
- Wind Project Development Process (PDF 95 KB)
- 10 Steps in Building a Wind Farm (PDF 43 KB). American Wind Energy Association.
- Permitting of Wind Energy Facilities: A Handbook (PDF 1.9 MB). (August 2002). National Wind Coordinating Committee.
- Landowner Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (PDF 548 KB). (August 2003). "State Wind Working Group Handbook." pp. 130-133.
- How much money can I make?
- How many turbines can be placed on a section of land?
- Is my land a good wind site?
- How do I get wind turbines on my land?
- How much will I have to invest?
- Will my property taxes increase?
- Can turbines be sited on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land?
- Can turbines be sited on grassland easements?
- What are the steps leading to wind development?
- What does the local utility think?
- How much do wind turbines cost?
- How much does a wind farm earn?
- Who owns the wind farm?
- How much wind is needed?
- How much electricity do they generate?
- Do wind turbines harm birds?
- How tall are the wind turbines?
- Are wind turbines noisy?
- How do turbines operate?
- What happens when the wind doesn't blow?
Software
Web Sites
- Windustry
- AWEA's Wind Energy Information
Learn about the economics and competitiveness of wind, policy factors, wind technology, wind resources, and small and large applications.
- Wind Energy Resources
Find information on wind classes, geographic distribution, constraints on wind potential, characteristics of wind, and developing a wind resource assessment program.
More Information
- The Air Force is the lead for the Department of Defense for wind energy and Special Use Airspace. Air Force wind consultants advise contacting them prior to applying for permits on all federal lands and non-federal lands, due to the existence of military Special Use Airspace (i.e., military
airspace below 300' above ground level) used for military testing and training across the United States. The Air Force will work to ensure that potential sites are mutually safe, secure, and efficient. Contact airforcewindconsult@pentagon.af.mil
- A local wind turbine company should be able to guide you through your local planning, permitting, and policies.
- Work with your local electrification coop to develop a strategy for wind energy.
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