Aug. 11--Woodward County commissioners have approved a request for a road use and maintenance agreement with an energy company that wants to put up power lines from a wind farm and connect to an OG&E substation south of Woodward.

The company, CPV Keenan II Renewable Energy Co., would put up transmission lines to provide power as a private and independent producer selling to OG&E.

CPV plans to put up 66 turbines along Sharon-Shattuck Road southwest of Woodward. County road North-South 204 is another possibility for turbines.

Appearing at the county commission's meeting Monday were about 22 landowners who didn't protest the approval of the contract with CPV.

However, an attorney representing two of the landowners, Terry Stowers of Burns and Stowers, Norman, warned the commissioners they could not give easements to CPV because it was a private utility, not a public one like OG&E.

"The county could find themselves in the middle of litigation," Stowers said.

District Attorney Hollis Thorp, who was at the meeting, said, "The county (contract with CPV) does not give them an easement."

County Commission Chairman Ted Craighead told the landowners that the contract allows CPV to use 66-feet of public owned property, and that CPV will get have to get landowner consent also.

Cody Hodgden, attorney representing CPV, said, "We're not asking for an agreement to impair landowners' rights and we understand the county can't (give an easement)."

Another issue that came from the landowners involved the condition of the roads in the areas where CPV would be putting up power lines.

"I want it done better than OG&E has done, because it's terrible," a landowner said.

Craighead said the county had negotiated for compensation for deterioration of eight miles of roadway at $50,000-a-mile reimbursement.

"Half will be paid up front," Craighead said.

After the meeting Michael Resca, CPV manager, said, "It exposes us also if we don't comply with state statutes. We fully expect and plan to work with all of the landowners adjacent to the transmission route."

CPV has been in the Woodward County area since August 2007, Resca said.

"We plan to build 66 wind turbines next year that would be fully operational by the end of 2010," he said.

In two years, the area will see the results of its ad valorem taxes, according to the county commission.

According to County Assessor Debbie Gentry, out of the dollars paid by CPV, the county general fund would receive an estimated $189,849 a year. High Plains Technology Center would receive $227,601 a year, and Emergency Medical Services would receive $56,991 a year. County health would see $19,058 a year, and the Woodward Schools would receive $75,867 a year.

Sharon Mutual School District would receive $579,227 tax dollars a year from 44 towers, and Fargo School District would receive $478,616 tax dollars a year from 22 towers.

Total estimated taxes generated from the wind farm based on 66 towers could be $1,627,209 a year.

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