The Nebraska Farmers Union (NEFU) encourages farmers and ranchers to consider forming landowner associations for wind farm development to gain the best interests for rural communities, says spokesperson Graham Christensen in a recent interview:
"You're seeing the movement in Nebraska and this is something that really originated in Wyoming, Colorado, and down into New Mexico. Landowners are getting together and they're starting to form these associations by blocking off their land. What this does—and it's something that we really ecourage people to think about in different areas that are interested in wind farm development—it protects people and landowners and farmers and ranchers from maybe getting the short end of the stick on these wind easements. It also brings communities together, to be able to talk about what's best for them, What model of wind energy they might want to use, what's best for their community. And also, it makes them look a little bit more marketable in the eyes of people in utilities that might be interested in buying their wind energy."
You can listen to the interview at Brownfield Ag News for America. NEFU supports setting clear, fair, and transparent standards for initial wind development lease options and development rights in Nebraska. For more information visit their website at www.nebraskafarmersunion.org.