900 KW wind turbine erected north of Mitchell

The massive blades for this 900 KW wind turbine, now located north of Mitchell were put in place last Wednesday afternoon. The 330-foot-tall wind generator was made in Holland and is owned by two Decorah entreprenuers. It is the first of two turbines that will be erected on property owned by Robert Neumann of rural St. Ansgar. (Press-News photos by Tish Hallett)

by David Namanny, Press-News Editor

A unique partnership from Northeast Iowa has resulted in the first of two new wind turbines to be erected just north of Mitchell on Red Ball Road.

The blades on a massive 330-foot-tall wind generator, made in Holland, were put up by crane crews last Wednesday, and finishing touches on the operation are currently taking place.

Located on land rented from Robert Neumann, the new 900 Kw wind turbine was purchased and erected by engineer Paul Roder and banker Larry Grimstad.

The two Decorah men decided to erect the two wind turbines in Mitchell County in order to promote and explore the feasibility of wind energy. The two also hope to start a new trend and make a few alternative energy dollars with their new company, called "Blowhard, LLC."

The location for the turbine was selected based on average annual wind-speed and proximity to an electric substation.

"It's good for me, because I'll have a little extra income," said Neumann, who has been farming south of St. Ansgar since 1963. "I have about 155 acres in which they are renting about 15 acres."

Electricity generated by the new turbine will be sold to Alliant Energy, but directed to the community of St. Ansgar, The substation the turbine is connected to, however, is owned by Heartland Power Cooperative of St. Ansgar. A cooperative effort between the two utilities, made the project possible.

"What makes this project unique is that it is an all-Iowa project," said Roder, who was overseeing the project Wednesday. "We have an Iowa owner and an Iowa investor, and the electricity we generate will serve the Iowa community of St. Ansgar."

Another aspect of the project that is unique, according to Roder, is the technology of the foreign-made wind turbine.

"There is no gear box, like most of the turbines you see around here," he explained. "It is a direct-drive turbine, which means less problems, less wear and less interruptions."

Also, the turbine has "brakes" in case of wild weather. The turbine will spin and generate electricity when winds are anywhere from 4 miles per hour to 50 miles per hour. If the wind speed goes over 55 mph, brakes will automatically stop the blades from turning.

Roder said there are 365 yards of concrete and 42 tons of steel in the base of the wind generator and the turbine on top itself weighs 300,000 pounds. The tower and turbine have an expected life-span of 30 years, but Roder said that most of these Holland-made units last for nearly 40 years.

In the process of establishing the new wind energy enterprise, Blowhard, L.L.C., the other partner, Decorah banker Larry Grimstad, completed all the necessary paperwork and the project was approved last summer in terms of "having no significant environmental impact" by the United State Department of Agriculture.

"I'm just a banker from Decorah with a passion for renewable energy," explained Grimstad. "So I'm dabbling in the wind energy business and learning a lot."

While Grimstad admits he and his partner probably won't see much profit at first, he hopes to do a bit better than breaking even, selling electricity back to Alliant Energy at a few cents per kilowatt hour, and thus proving the value of wind energy. He hopes to get several more similar projects up and running in the northeast Iowa area.

The second wind turbine in the Mitchell County project is expected to arrive at the Neumann farm north of Mitchell sometime this summer.

[Created Jan 29, 2008 -- Mitchell County Press]