Wind Farm Contract Advice

Windmills have begun cropping up on andamp lt a href andamp quot http www kxnet com t north-dakotaandamp quot class andamp quot kxInlineLinkandamp quot andamp gt North Dakotaandamp lt aandamp gt s countryside in recent years In fact the largest wind power project in the nation is planned across hundreds of square miles of north-central North Dakota An andamp lt a href andamp quot http www kxnet com t ndsuandamp quot class andamp quot kxInlineLinkandamp quot andamp gt NDSUandamp lt aandamp gt farm management specialist says farmers should make sure they understand their rights when it comes to leasing land to companies operating wind towers Dwight Aakre AH-kree says from liability issues to actual rental rates every aspect of a lease is up for discussion He says some companies try to muscle landowners into signing a standard agreement that may not be right for them Dwight Aakre NDSU Farm Management andamp quot Until they sign a contract everything is negotiable These wind companies are coming in and telling everybody this is our contract take it or leave it That s not the case Landowners need to know they can negotiate and should negotiate for better terms If they don t they re stuck with it Once you sign a contract you re stuck with it and they re signing a long term committment So that s what we want to emphasize andamp quot Cam 2 Aakre says wind towers are sure to proliferate across the state so farmers should become familiar with what makes a fair deal with a wind energy generating company