Bluestem Energy Solutions signed a lease on 1 March 2019 for a 160‑acre plot owned by a Nebraska farmer in Cuming County. Only one acre of that land will host a 2.5‑megawatt wind turbine, leaving 159 acres available for corn and other crops.
Matt Robinette, Bluestem’s vice president of development, explained that the company signs leases that cover the whole property even though the turbine occupies a tiny fraction. The farmer will receive between $10,000 and $12,500 a year, a figure that dwarfs the roughly $600 a year per acre that even the most productive corn would generate.
The partnership began after Cuming County Public Power District (CCPPD) sought to reduce dependence on external suppliers. Bluestem funded the $4.5 million project, built a GE 2.5‑MW turbine, and entered a 30‑year power purchase agreement with CCPPD. The turbine is expected to deliver about 10,950 MWh annually, enough for more than 900 homes.
Beyond the farmer’s earnings, the turbine cuts CCPPD’s electricity costs by 3–4 %. The project is projected to inject over $1 million into the local economy during its lifetime and generate roughly $11,000 a year in property taxes, 60 % of which goes to public schools. Bluestem maintains the turbine, sparing CCPPD from repair costs.
The lease includes an option to extend beyond 30 years, and the farmer can continue to sell any excess grain produced on the remaining acreage. CCPPD will continue to purchase the turbine’s output at a fixed rate, providing the county with predictable, renewable energy for the next three decades.