Many residents of southern Van Wert County are being subjected to high-pressure sales techniques to either lease or waive property rights by companies that are in the business of harvesting government subsidies using wind energy. It appears that four LLC’s are colluding to do business here as one developer with little liability and accountability.
Ironically, these are registered in the state of Delaware, the only state in the nation, where ownership is hidden and protected compared to Ohio where ownership is revealed. This can easily turn into a financial disaster for our local governments and the wind site landowners.
These Virginia based companies are reported to not always pay their suppliers. Ambassador Steel Fabrication of Auburn, Indiana and the Hoopeston Wind site (IL) have filed $1.4 million in liens against over 40 leased landowners’ properties. The same wind farm had 39 more mechanic liens placed in favor of NCSG Crane and Heavy Haul Service at $2.4 million per lien.
Our townships and county also might be left with very large repair and restoration costs that would have to be recovered by tax increases or assessing the host landowners because of these companies under compensating on road repair.
The Blue Creek Wind industrial site had some landowners waiting a lengthy time for their first payment to come through.
Van Wert County could turn into a pathetic junk zone with little hope of recovery after these companies leave, as little or no bond is required to meet the decommissioning costs as the service life ends.
— Darle Baker, Citizens for Clear Skies
