Juhl Wind, Inc. (OTCBB: JUHL), the Leader in Community Wind Power, announced the signing of a Development Services Agreement with the Black Oak Wind Farm located near Ithaca, NY. The project is a proposed 15 to 30 MW facility with expectation of the project being online during the third quarter 2013. Juhl Wind will be serving as a development partner for the project.
"We are very excited to be expanding our development services outside of the Midwest region. The Black Oak Wind Farm is made up of a group of highly motivated individuals who are looking to bring the Ithaca area its first utility scale Community Wind project and we are honored to have been selected to assist them in doing so," stated Corey Juhl, Vice President of Project Development for Juhl Wind, Inc.
The Black Oak Wind Farm has also teamed up with Val-Add Service Corporation, a South Dakota project management company, whose recent success includes structuring and coordination of a 10.5 MW community-owned wind project in Central South Dakota. "It is exciting to bring to New York a business structure that has worked so successfully for a similar community-owned wind project in South Dakota," said Brian Minish, President of Val-Add Service Corp. "We are also very excited to be working on our first project with Juhl Wind and hope that it is the first of many to come."
"The Black Oak Wind Farm represents a new wrinkle in our development strategy here at Juhl. With the current transmission uncertainty in the Midwest we are actively looking to diversify our development portfolio by adding projects throughout North America and in regions that generally experience higher electric rates," added Juhl Wind President John Mitola. "In addition, partnering with the Val-Add team will give this project a unique opportunity to maximize the amount of local ownership and economic development to Tompkins County."
"We are very pleased to be working with such experienced partners as Juhl Wind and Val-Add Service," said Peter Bardaglio, President of Black Oak Wind Farm, LLC. "Not only do they understand the importance of this project being financially successful but also how to make sure we contribute to the well being of the local economy," Bardaglio added.