Published: May 27, 2009 11:13 pm      

Keyser City Council supports wind project

KEYSER, W.Va. — Becoming one of the first municipalities to publicly do so, the Keyser City Council unanimously gave its support for the US Wind Force Pinnacle Project.

“The council felt this was the time to do it,” said Sonny Rhodes, councilman. “The benefits that Mineral County is going to receive far outweigh the negatives, we felt. ... We just felt it was the time to do it, not to stand on the fence, wavering one way or another.”

Councilman Dave Sowers said the council saw many benefits to the Green Mountain project. Not only would $432,000 in taxes remain in Mineral County, but NewPage, the county’s top taxpayer, would benefit as well. The company, Sowers said, would be considered as going green for having turbines on its property.

This recognition along with the lease payments could benefit NewPage, allowing for better cash flow and — Sowers hopes — new hires.

“If this helps out NewPage to hire one person, 10 people or a hundred people, it will help the county,” Sowers said.

Sowers said if US Wind Force is given a permit by the West Virginia Public Service Commission and follows through with the project, it will make the company the second-largest taxpayer in the county.

He said after attending the Mineral County Development Authority meeting, he felt that US Wind Force had answered a few other questions that had been concerns for residents and government officials alike.

One of the biggest was the eventual removal and dismantling of the turbines after they exceeded their life spans. Rhodes said Jim Cookman, vice president of project development for US Wind Force, explained that the metal in the towers and the copper in the wiring would likely always have high resale values. He added that the funding for tearing the turbines down would remain in an escrow account and that they would be bonded for removal.

Rhodes said the council had been informed of new technology that could extend the life span to as much as 50 years. He said the discussions have all been positive.

“I’m certainly delighted with their support,” Cookman said. “I would say that US Wind Force is delighted. The Keyser City Council acted to unanimously support the Pinnacle Project proposed for Green Mountain in Mineral County, and we look forward to earning the support of other community leaders as we move, as we continue to move through the West Virginia Public Service Commission permitting process.”

The project, if approved, is expected to begin in early spring of 2010.

Contact Sarah Moses at smoses@times-news.com.