Rippey Wind Energy Project
RPM Access, Landowners, Neighbors and Greene County Officials Enjoy Blade Signing at Rippey Wind Construction Site
About 70 local Landowners, Neighbors and Greene County government officials joined representatives from RPM Access LLC, Rippey Wind Energy, Mortenson Construction, Nordex, and the many subcontractors, in order to recognize the currently under construction 50 MW Rippey Wind Farm. The Rippey Wind Farm includes 20 2.5 MW Nordex wind turbines, which will generate enough energy to power approximately 16,000 homes.
The dinner, followed by a “blade signing” was meant to celebrate the cooperative effort necessary to make this long lead time project a reality. The event was held at a site off P-46 in Junction Township just south of 240th St. where blades, tower sections and nacelles were awaiting erection. Jim Dimond, Site Developer for RPM Access, said, “It is hard to give proper thanks to all the people in this great community who participated in this clean energy project”. “It is very heartening to see the business flowing to local vendors and to imagine the benefit landowners and the county will receive over the project life.”
The project consists of over 3,500 acres with 28 landowners, as well as numerous neighbors. The twenty turbines, together with the substation, will only take about 20 acres out of farm production. Substantial completion in expected in mid-September with a commercial operation date in October of this year. While heavy cement trucks have finished their work, deliveries of turbine components will continue until late June. At that point truck traffic will diminish and the remaining work will involve turbine erection, mechanical completions, energization and commissioning. During the latter phase, roads and construction easements will be restored.
RPM Access LLC also announced the closing of a $116 million Construction and Term Financing for both the Rippey project and it companion 37 MW Hawkeye wind farm in Fayette County, Iowa. The company, in its 12 year history, has developed 700 megawatts of operating wind farms located in Iowa. In 2011 and 2012, RPM Access also has developed two wind farms totaling 223 megawatts in Marshall and Tama, with both projects sold to a major Iowa utility. The company said it was having a great two years, but it took years of effort to make this all happen. While construction can be accomplished in about six months, getting to shovel ready, in terms of engineering studies, wind engineering, environmental studies, landowner and neighbor approvals, government approvals, interconnection, etc. takes years.
Power from the project has been sold to Central Iowa Power Cooperative (“CIPCO”) under a 25 year power purchase agreement. The company website, http://www.rpmaccess.com, contains more information about the company and the Rippey project.
-submittted by JIm Dimond
For those wishing to track the progress of construction, go to website http://rpmaccess.com/projects.html. You will need Google Earth. If you point the cursor at the turbine or road entrance, you will see weekly sequential progress photos for each turbine and entrance