Red Rock Wind Energy is proposing a 300 MW wind farm development south of Estherville, Iowa. The project area is in the development stages of wind resource assessment, wind turbine layouts scenarios, and environmental impact studies. Currently four on-site meteorological towers are collecting wind data and we plan to install another two meteorological towers. We retained Excel Engineering to help evaluate the interconnection possibilities and prepare an interconnection strategy. Excel Engineering and National Wind have identified several options to interconnect the project’s generation to the transmission grid. We are currently working with prospective utilities to co-develop this wind project. The project is scheduled to be commercially operational in late 2011.

May 27, 2009- 16,000 Acres Leased

February 1st, 2009- Over one third of Acres Needed Leased

December 11th, 2008- Red Rock Wind Energy Announces the Development of Large Scale Community Wind in Iowa

October 1st, 2008- Red Rock Wind Energy installs a 60 meter meteorological tower

Red Rock Wind Energy Signs Nearly 16,000 Acres for the Project's Development

May 27, 2009- Red Rock Wind Energy is proud to announce that it has signed over half the acres needed for development of its 300 megawatt community-owned wind farm. With 15,757 acres signed by the end of May 2009, the project anticipates passing the 20,000 acre threshold by the end of July. Red Rock Wind Energy achieved this significant site control milestone only 7 short months after the project's formation. Complete site control will be reached once 30,000 contiguous acres are signed.

"Achieving this site control milestone within such a short time period speaks volumes about the local support our project has quickly harnessed," says Ben Kerl, senior wind farm developer at National Wind. "The support can be attributed to our community wind model that incorporates landowner representation via a local advisory board, landowner forums and discussions that encourage transparent communication, and a larger local stake in the proceeds generated from the wind farm. We plan to wrap up our site control efforts by the end of this year, helping transition the project into advanced stages of development."

Over One Third of the Acres Needed are Leased

February 1st, 2009 - Currently, over one third of the acres of land needed for the project are leased. This amounts to over 13,000 acres of land under option. Red Rock Wind Energy’s field team, consisting of Al Blum, Bob Schacherer, Lindsey Pelstring and Kristin Ross, will continue to work with landowners throughout 2009. If you are interested in learning how you can become involved, contact Red Rock Wind Energy’s main office at 712-362-7272.

ProjecRed Rock Wind Energy Announces the Development of Large Scale Community Wind in Iowa

December 11, 2008- The development of wind energy in Northwest Iowa will expand again with the formation of Red Rock Wind Energy, LLC of Estherville, a community-owned wind farm development company. Red Rock Wind Energy, with their project manager National Wind of Minneapolis, MN, plans to develop up to 300 megawatts (MW) of wind energy in Emmet and Dickinson Counties, Iowa within the next 3 to 5 years, producing enough electricity to power up to 90,000 homes. Many of the investors in Red Rock Wind Energy, including National Wind, are also developing the NorthStar Wind Farm, a 200 MW community wind project adjacent to Red Rock Wind Energy in Emmet and Dickinson Counties. The NorthStar Wind Farm is slated for construction in late 2009.

Red Rock Wind Energy has formed a management board that consists of the following local founders: Alan Blum, Stacy Olson, Deb Olson, and Richard Bockman.

Al Blum, a local business owner in the Estherville area for over 30 years and Chairman of the Red Rock management board, said, “We have learned a tremendous amount by developing the NorthStar Wind Farm and look forward to bringing that experience to Red Rock Wind Energy. We can help landowners in Emmet and Dickinson County understand what’s involved in having a turbine on their property.”

Already, the project’s site control specialists have leased over one third of the acres needed for the project’s construction. National Wind Assessments, the wind analysis division of National Wind, has also installed a meteorological (met) tower in Emmet County to collect wind data in the area for a minimum of one year, helping create an accurate picture of the wind resource in the area. Meteorological tower data from the NorthStar Wind Farm will also be utilized.

Red Rock Wind Energy installs a 60 meter meteorological tower

October 1st, 2008- The resource analysis division of National Wind, installed Red Rock Wind Energy’s first 60 meter meteorological (met) tower in October 2008 to collect wind data for a minimum of one year’s time. A met tower is a multi-instrument device which records wind speeds, wind direction, temperature, and air density over time, leading to a complete depiction of the wind attributes of a project site. A minimum of one year of continuous, on-site, wind data is needed for effective site evaluation and wind turbine placement. An accurate wind speed and energy assessment is the fundamental foundation for project planning, development and financing for any wind project.

Red Wind Energy also has a wealth of existing, nearby on-site wind data. For Red Rock Wind Energy’s preliminary wind resource analysis, National Wind Assessments collected data from 4 meteorological towers within the area that are owned and operated by the North Star Wind Farms. The four towers are located in Emmet and Dickinson Counties, Iowa. This long-term existing data helps provide a comprehensive energy calculation for Red Rock Wind Energy’s new layout.