Grant County OKs eastements for wind turbine underground cables

An energy company has permission to use county easements to install wind turbines in Grant County.

The Grant County Commissioners on Tuesday approved an agreement with E.ON Climate and Renewables to put cables and wires through county easements to connect turbines they are building in Grant County.

“We’ve given them the permission to use our easements so they can connect the dots,” Commissioner David Glickfield said.

The company has already leased thousands of acres of land, according to a presentation made in October, and plan to be building turbines in about two years.

“There’s still at least two years (before) we could start construction on the project,” said Andy Melka, development manager for E.ON.

In October, commissioners agreed to give access to county right-of-ways to the company. Now, a formal agreement has been made, where the company will provide $3,000 per year to Grant County for the first seven years of development.

Commissioner John Webster said after that, leasing will be $9,000 to $10,000 a year.

Melka said cuts made in county trenches will be next to roads. The company may also go underneath roads, but will not make cuts to pavement.

Commissioners also gave Highway Superintendent David White permission to negotiate how the company moves forward from here.