About the Project

Economic Benefits

The Deuel Harvest Wind Farm represents a $150 million investment in the local and state economy over the life of the project - nearly $125 million of which will directly benefit Deuel County through participating landowner lease payments, new tax revenue and operations and maintenance staff wages.

$40M local and state taxes
over the life of the project

$87M landowner payments
over the life of the project

$23M staff wages and benefits
over the life of the project

Why South Dakota?

South Dakota has an amazing wind resource and 30% of the electricity in South Dakota is generated by wind - which makes it the state with the 4th highest share of wind energy generation. In part, South Dakota's electricity bills have remained well below the national average due to this abundance of wind energy.

Wind Benefits South Dakota

Total Investment: The wind industry has invested $2.1 billion in South Dakota.
Annual Landowner Payments: Every year, wind farms in South Dakota pay landowners an estimated $1-5 million.
Wind Industry Employment: The wind industry employs upwards of 1,001 people in jobs in South Dakota.
Wind Manufacturing Facilities: 5 facilities in South Dakota produce products utilized by the wind industry, from blades and towers to the raw components, like fiberglass and steel, that comprise a wind farm.

Why Deuel County?

The Deuel County Wind Farm is an unparalleled development opportunity for Deuel County, with millions to be invested in the local economy over the life of the project. We selected Deuel County for this project after intense and careful evaluation due to the:

Verified, strong wind resource
Existing transmission lines limiting the need for new infrastructure
Expansive commercial farmland
Low environmental impact risk
Proximity to state highways
Strong local community support

We take serious our commitment to our local host communities and look forward to continuing to work closely with Deuel County, contributing to the area's economic development, and to providing an additional supply of clean, homegrown energy in South Dakota.

Environmental
Benefits

Environmental Benefits

To avoid and minimize impacts to wildlife and other natural resources, we work with state and federal agencies and other interested stakeholders to site, build, and operate our facilities responsibly. The cornerstone of that effort is our commitment to act in accordance with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Land-based Wind Energy Guidelines, which includes robust pre-construction wildlife and habitat surveys, early and often communication with wildlife agencies, and operational monitoring to ensure risk to wildlife is minimized.

Impact on
Roads

Impact on County Roads

All County roads and infrastructure will be left in the same or better condition than they were prior to their use for the construction or on-going maintenance and repair of a wind energy project, and that such repairs will be completed at no cost to Deuel County. Invenergy will work directly with the county road supervisor on a "Road Use Agreement" to ensure this.

Land

Wind turbines and access roads have a very small footprint, typically less than 1 acre of land is used per turbine. Approximately 98-99% of land will remain in agricultural use, allowing wind energy to support the agricultural industry and landowners to continue harvesting their land.

Current Efforts