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  Wind Power for Farming and Food Processing

  C. P. Van Dam, Henry Shiu, Scott Johnson, and Scott Larwood

  Wind power can reliably and economically provide electricity to farms and other food processing applications. Wind turbines are available in a wide range of sizes, from under 1 kW to more than 3 MW of capacity. A farmer can invest in wind power in a number of ways: 1) land leasing to a wind plant developer, in which the farmer receives royalties for wind turbines installed on his land; 2) direct ownership of a wind turbine, in which the farmer buys a wind turbine and consumes the electricity it generates, reducing the amount of energy purchased from other sources; and 3) through a power purchase agreement, in which the farmer contracts to a third party, which owns, installs, and operates a wind turbine on the farmer's land, selling the wind-generated electricity back to the farmer at a mutually beneficial rate. Prospective investors/owners should make a careful economic assessment, weighing factors including resource availability (i.e., windiness), permitting requirements, and eligibility for incentive programs (e.g., rebates, tax benefits, and grants).