Wind Power

Wind Power, the newest alternative Electric Power Technology is spreading across Canada and the United States harnessing the wind.  Large propeller driven wind turbines are about to be added to the Ontario farm landscape.  We leased the lands at Port Alma for the KEPA partnership.  We negotiated all of the Wind Options for Kruger Energy.  There is a wind power development on the Bruce Power land north of Kincardine, Ontario.  There is a turbine located on the Canadian National Exhibition lands and another at the Pickering Power Plant.  These are just the beginning for Ontario.  A large development is already underway in  Bruce County.  There are wind meters sprouting up all along the Lake Huron Shoreline along Highway 21.  Many towers are under construction with the blades lying assembled on the ground waiting for towers to be constructed.  Lake Erie is also growing tall thin towers as well.  The land is being acquired and plans are underway.  Government support was expressed in the last Federal Budget and plans were approved for development and financial support was given.  The Ontario market is ready for Wind Power and this is Canada's hot spot for development.  RFP I has already been awarded and RFP II is being decided and will soon be awarded.  They will be followed quickly by RFP III.

The land acquisition follows the same path as leasing for a mineral or storage leasing program.  You approach the landowner with the idea and an education process follows.  Once the landowner is comfortable with the idea of having a large windmill structure on his land the documents are signed and commitments are made.  The strength and consistency of the winds coming off the lake are measured by installing a tall wind met tower in the fields where the structure is to be located.  Once the measurements confirm that the area is good for development the planning for installation is commenced.

Leasing is a partnership between three principles, the leasing company, the Wind Power company and the landowner.  Treat each principle with respect and honesty and your negotiations will proceed in an orderly manner to a successful conclusion.  Give all of the information necessary to all parties in the negotiation to allow for everyone to make an educated decision.  Establishing a relationship built on trust is imperative with such a new industry.   You have to be able to return to the farm and if the farmer feels cheated then you will have a difficult time completing the next set of negotiations.

We are careful to provide our clients with accurate documents.  Our landmen prepare their documents in our office with information from the actual deeds.  Their completed document  is checked by our Lease Administrator prior to presentation to the landowner for signing.  This helps prevent errors in the field.

Our landmen submit detailed written database reports about each and every contact they have with the landowner.  We include this information with every invoice.  At a moments notice we can give you a full detailed report of the current status of negotiations with each and every landowner.  If you need to know anything about a file we can generate a report like the illustration below at a moments notice for any work in our system.  We can tell you what is going on in any project at any time.

We have been involved start to finish in the planning process, the contract negotiations, the switching station and transformer station negotiations.  We act as a middle man with the county.  We are the on the ground negotiators and facilitators for the entire project.  We have been very successful acquiring the necessary lands to make the project move forward.