Nedpower looks to sell out to Shell Wind USA

The Nedpower project had clearly failed to gain any investment momentum due to Nedpower's lackluster ability to promote the project and investors realization that the plans costs and ROI projections are less than convincing. So it appears Nedpower are stepping away in favour of what they are hoping is a company big enough to push through their poorly-conceived venture.

However - key is the decisions of landowners on the mountain top who control access to the location and sites for power components and substation deployment.

Quite how landoweners will react to this news and how this effects any existing contractual agreements remains to be seen. Along with what new legal issues this may raise concerning the original decisions, and whether these will now be required to comply to the new West Virginia 2005 regulations for Wind energy Projects. If Shell Wind have to go back to the State to re-structure the project then they may well need to re-certify.

Clearly the Mt Storm project is now entering into another phase from which the outcomes are not at all clear. It remains to be seen if the citizens of West Virginia embrace Milton Hernandez of Shell Wind as a partner any more than Nedpower. Readers may find that his initial pronouncement lacks depth in showing that he has the required strong understanding of the region and the needs of its people combined with the prime financial metrics and success factors.

No details of the terms agreed between Nedpower and Shell Wind were available.

Kittitas County, WA - Judge rules on cancelled EnXco wind power project

Judge Cooper’s 11-page ruling stated commissioners had good reason to deny the project because it conflicted with neighboring properties and how those lands are being used.

“There is ample evidence in the record to support the finding that the project does not bear a substantial relationship to the public health, safety or welfare and is incompatible with uses in the area.”

Ed Garrett - local citizens advocacy group spokesman said - “Wind farm developers have proven themselves to be the kind of unethical developers that this county does not need.”

County commissioners on April 5 denied permits requested by EnXco USA Inc. for the French-based company’s planned 120-turbine wind farm eight miles north of Ellensburg. The company later filed an appeal in county Superior Court. A hearing on the appeal took place Oct. 6.

The full text can be viewed here.

Mt Storm Nedpower Project Map - Now Online!

The exact project plan for the Phase 1 of the project sponsored by Nedpower is finally available for citizens to see. Over one year after the state board approved the project.

So why all the secrecy? Clearly when the extent of the project boundaries is overlapping on local landowners property - its obvious why Nedpower did not want this revealed. In the meantime it is unclear what property they have managed to buy access to in order to proceed even with this limited phase 1 plan. That will include the sub-station and power transfer hook-up to the gird via the VEPCO powerplant facility on the north end of the lake.

The full resolution map (1.5Mb) is available here.

In addition to the map turning up - Googles new ranking engine also threw up this link to Nedpower's original project outline. In addition to some pretty wild-eyed claims on the local revenues and employment benefits, the photographs presented are also sadly very misleading. Anyone knowing the area instantly can see that the views have been very selectively taken. Small wonder the State and County were hoodwinked by this rosy material. One is reminded of Colin Powells performance in front of the United Nations Security Council on Iraq.