When EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) begins developing a wind farm or solar park, we plan on being an engaged member of the community throughout the project’s multi-decade lifespan. Many of our neighbors have worked with us for more than 15 years, and we’re proud of the strong relationships we’ve formed in the communities who host our wind farms and solar parks. Over the years, we’ve interviewed a number of our neighbors and local stakeholders about their experiences living and working near our renewable energy projects throughout their development, construction, and operation. We’ve compiled excerpts of their stories here to help give others an idea of what it is like having an EDPR NA project in the community. Some of the quotes that follow have been edited for clarity.
1 | Stable Income
One of the first steps in developing a wind farm or solar park is finding landowners interested in leasing part of their property to host project infrastructure. When a landowner chooses to lease land to an EDP Renewables North America project, they are guaranteed a stable, reliable revenue stream for decades to come. This extra source of income can give a landowner the ability to expand their business, help pay for college, supplement vital retirement savings, or just provide peace of mind through the ups and downs of life. As of December 2019, EDPR NA has paid more than $379 million to local landowners across North America.
2 | Access Roads
When EDP Renewables North America builds a wind farm or solar park, part of the process is creating access roads for component delivery during construction and for turbine maintenance once the project is operational. EDPR NA works closely with landowners to ensure the access roads are sited in areas that work with their farming operation. Over the years, we’ve heard from many landowners who see the access roads as one of the major benefits of leasing their land to the wind farm. While EDPR NA handles the initial road construction and ongoing road maintenance, the landowners are free to use the roads for their own purposes, such as hauling crops out of the field and conveniently accessing their fields.
3 | Economic Development
Constructing a wind farm or a solar park is a major undertaking. During the multi-month process, hundreds of workers flow in and out of the area, relying on local businesses for lodging, food, fuel, supplies, and more. Once a project is operational, EDPR NA continues to purchase goods and services from local businesses for ongoing maintenance, such as landscaping, solar panel washing, and equipment servicing. Our employees buy supplies from the nearby hardware store, eat at area restaurants, and fill up their trucks at local gas stations. This additional economic activity at local businesses, combined with the increased income for landowners leasing their property to the project, results in greater resources available to be reinvested back into the local economy.
4 | Road Improvement
Wind farms and solar parks are significant construction projects that demand a lot from local roads, which can often result in additional wear and tear. EDP Renewables North America makes improvements to county roads for safe delivery of components during construction and also ensures the roads are left in as good or better condition once construction has concluded. As a result, EDPR NA projects have provided hundreds of miles of new, quality roadways for residents of project communities.
5 | Local Jobs
One of the key ways EDPR NA supports a project community is through local job creation. It takes hundreds of people to build a wind farm or solar park, and once operational, many people work to ensure the project generates power for years to come. In fact, wind turbine technician is the second fastest growing job in the United States (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021). We support hundreds of stable, family-wage jobs throughout rural communities, with no plans to slow down any time soon. So far, EDPR NA has created 7,900 full-time equivalent construction jobs and employs more than 950 people across the continent.
6 | Community Tax Revenue
One way EDPR NA renewable energy projects support a community is through local government revenues paid by EDPR NA wind farms and solar parks. So far, we have provided more than $308 million in new tax revenue to local governments. This revenue helps support essential infrastructure such as schools, roads, and fire departments. In many project areas, EDPR NA’s wind farm or solar park is the biggest taxpaying entity in the county, providing critical funding to services relied upon by residents. These payments give local rural governments the funds to grow, innovate, and enhance the quality of life for residents.
7 | Recommended by Farmers
We know how hard farmers and landowners work to take care of their land, and we are deeply respectful of that when a landowner chooses to lease part of it to an EDPR NA wind farm or solar park. Wind farms and solar parks provide farmers with valuable stable income they can count on. This stability helps give farmers peace of mind through the ups and downs of the ag industry and resources to grow their business further. We’ve heard from dozens of farmers across North America who recommend participating in wind farms and solar parks as a way to help ensure their farm prospers for generations to come.
8 | Supporting Schools
EDPR NA prioritizes supporting local school districts in communities who host our wind farms and solar parks. Between the millions of dollars in tax payments that go toward schools and social investments EDPR NA is able to donate to area schools directly. EDPR NA projects bring additional economic resources for rural school districts across the continent.
9 | Committed to Community
EDPR NA takes tremendous pride in developing strong relationships with the communities who host our projects. From the early development phases, through construction, and throughout a project’s multi-decade operational life, we are committed to being a good neighbor and engaging with local stakeholders. Our employees live and work in our project communities, so whether we’re hosting a booth at the annual town fair or donating to the local food bank, we do our best to become part of the community.
