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Farmer becomes proponent of wind energy
'It's just another way of harvesting naturally renewable resources,' says community liasion.
Monday, October 29, 2007
UNION TWP. — Mike Pullins stood on his more than 200-acre berry farm along U.S. Route 36 and explained why he supported wind energy development and welcomed wind turbines on his property.
Pullins, a Champaign County resident and owner of Champaign Berry Farm, was hired by Everpower Renewables as the community liaison for the county.
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Pullins retired from the Ohio Farm Bureau after 33 years to join the New York-based wind energy development company. Champaign County is part of the Buckeye Wind Project, for which Everpower will receive up to $3 million in grant money, as announced by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland in August.
The project is proposed to go through Union and Wayne townships in Champaign County and continue into Logan County.
"I'm hoping to help bring this project, which offers both economic and environmental benefits, to fruition," Pullins said. "It's exciting."
Pullins, like other farmers in the area, started conversing with Everpower about a year ago when the company was in the area talking to landowners about the possibility of leasing their land to put wind turbines on in the future.
A little skeptical at first, Pullins said he researched wind energy development and decided he would agree to go through the process of leasing land to the company.
"There's a value, a unique resource in this area that provides value for the residents, wind companies and people buying energy," Pullins said.
Pullins has a bachelor's degree in agriculture from Ohio State University and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Dayton. He hopes he'll be able to bridge the gaps between local residents and the wind company by providing information about wind energy development through presentations to individuals and groups.
"It's economically beneficial to have somebody available locally," he said.
The number of wind turbines likely to come to Champaign County remains in the air until zoning setback restrictions are set, Pullins said.
Companies looking to collect wind energy are no different than farmers using the sun in crop production, Pullins said.
"It's just another way of harvesting naturally renewable resources," he said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0226 or nmorales@coxohio.com.
