3 Bar G Turbine #1
Under Construction
PDF – 3 Bar G Turbine #1 Description
Three Bar G Ranch is a cattle operation on Thorp Prairie, some of the windiest land west Ellensburg. Owners Frank and Robert Gregerich were interested in finding uses for the extensive acreage that preserve the open space and rural character in face of housing development that threatens to fragment the prairie. A wind turbine seemed like a win-win option for them, the prairie, and the community.
The turbine proposed for this project is a Vestas V27 225 kW turbine with a 90-foot diameter rotor on a 70 ft monopole tower. It will produce enough power for about 125 energy efficient homes (about 550,000 kWh a year) and is expected to cost $800,000 to install.
Subscriptions for one percent of the output of this turbine cost $8,000. CCWC estimates that each subscription will create $11,600 in power bill savings over its 20-year life, and renewable energy credits (RECs) offsetting 110,000: pounds of carbon, kWh electricity, or miles driven. REC-only subscriptions are available for $2,000 directly helping get this project in the ground.
The local economy will benefit from this project beyond just the power savings to subscribers. Benefits include the land lease payment to the Gregerich’s, local taxes, local maintenance work, profits to local turbine owners, payments to local lenders, and so on. There are also multiplier effects of this money circulating in the community.
CCWC calculated the local economic impact of this project using the guidelines for determining community economic impact found in the Washington State Wind Energy Guidebook. The project will add an estimated $175,000 per year to the economy, as well as 1.4 jobs, and $14,600 in tax revenue every year for the next 20 years. All as a result of this single turbine.
For Subscriptions or more information, call (360) 306 5331 or email: info@CascadeCommunityWind.com.
