We strive to create a uniquely transparent public engagement process in Vermillion County that will give local residents direct influence over the future of wind energy in this community. This collaborative development process will be different than anything we have ever tried. We seek to demonstrate that a more collaborative, less divisive development process is possible.

We invite you to participate. 

Vermillion County could be a great place for a wind energy facility. It has a strong wind resource, a great deal of open land, and access to the transmission network. But these positive attributes mean nothing if the community and its leaders do not believe that a wind energy facility will fit into their vision for the area’s future.

We know that the only way to discover whether wind energy is consistent with community needs and desires is to rely upon the experience and knowledge of the Vermillion County community, while providing a productive forum for dialogue, joint fact-finding, and vetting of concerns and issues. Community members will influence whether and how a wind project should be built here, and we need to ensure that in making that decision, they have access to all the accurate and complete information they need.

This way of doing things will look very different than the standard development process. The process will focus first on understanding what matters most in this community. Then we will enlist local residents’ help to shape the project’s location and standards for design. We intend to treat the community as more than just a potential host for a wind project, but as a partner, and that includes a right to receive an ongoing royalty based on the project’s profitability over its entire lifetime.

What You Can Expect

We are just beginning to collect initial feedback from members of the community through individual interviews and surveys. (Please click here to have your voice heard.) We have engaged an independent facilitation team who will be leading these community interviews and who will use them to help us design a process that is fair for all.

In the meantime, we are beginning to collect data that will be critical for the community’s consideration of this opportunity. This includes detailed data on the local wind resource, soils and ground conditions, and proximity to transmission. We are also speaking with landowners across the community to start getting a sense of who might be interested in hosting wind facilities if the community decides that a project should proceed in their area. (If you think you might be interested in leasing your land for a wind project, please let us know here.)

For this to be successful, we ask for your engagement. We invite you to sign up to become involved in this process, whether you are highly supportive or downright skeptical of wind energy in Vermillion County. We also invite you to visit our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about what we expect this process to entail and what work is currently underway.