The development of wind projects will create significant, long-term wealth for individual landowners, local workers, and local governments and will help diversify Wyoming’s energy economy.
WEALTH TO LANDOWNERS: Landowners receive payments for leasing their land for wind energy projects. Payments to landowners for a typical 100 MW project can reach over $10 million over a 20-year life of a project.
WEALTH TO COUNTIES: Wind energy projects pay substantial and ongoing property taxes for the life of each project. A typical 100 MW wind farm will pay over $1 million in property taxes during the first years in commercial operation and in the range of $10 to $12 million over the life of a 20-year project.
SALES AND USE TAX: Counties receive sales tax when wind energy equipment is purchased. The sales tax on a typical 100 MW wind farm is approximately $12 million. In addition, the construction and operation phases create demand for goods and services that will create additional sales and use tax revenue.
ECONOMIC DIVERSITY: Wind provides a long-term addition to Wyoming’s fossil-fuel based energy economy and adds diversity to Wyoming’s industrial base. Economic diversity would further increase if other industries associated with wind, such as blade manufacturing, were to locate in Wyoming.
EMPLOYMENT: Construction of a typical 100 MW wind project requires over 200 workers. The ongoing operation and maintenance of a 100 MW wind farm project will create about 10 long-term, high-paying, benefited jobs.
TRANSMISSION: New transmission lines are needed to deliver wind energy to western markets. Like wind projects, transmission projects are capital intensive and will create additional local economic benefits.
INDIRECT AND INDUCED: In addition to the direct economic benefits, development of wind and transmission projects will generate induced (supplier) and indirect (consumer) economic benefits, also known as the multiplier effect.
Wind projects place minimal demands on water, sewer, and other local infrastructure, and wind companies are typically responsible for construction or upgrades and maintenance of the roads used for the projects. Where feasible, developers and construction contractors hire local workers already served by local schools, fire, police, etc. If wind power development and generation become thriving businesses in Wyoming, other industry, such as wind-related manufacturing, will likely follow.