Landowners | RWE in the Americas

Working with landowners

We have experience working on ranches, farmland and reclaimed mines

RWE Clean Energy understands it cannot develop renewable projects without the cooperation and participation of landowners like you. We put a premium on understanding your current land use and working with you to ensure that a renewable energy project is compatible with your existing operations. RWE traditionally works with landowners to reach an agreement that provides a defined development term and, once the project is constructed, a long-term operations period. Typically, landowners receive rent during the development period and ongoing revenue from the sale of energy produced during the operations term. This structure ensures that our interests are aligned. We are incentivized to build the project as quickly as possible, and to find the best market for the power.

Significant investment in local economies

We provide clean energy, jobs and new opportunities

RWE is committed to working with landowners, like you, to maintain existing uses of your property. We are focused on building a long-term partnership with you and the community where you live. Please contact us to learn more.

The development process

Leases

Real estate agreements

RWE Clean Energy first meets with landowners to discuss how the project development process works, how the lease agreement works, and how landowners, their families, and their communities can benefit from a wind farm or other renewable energy project. Then, when a landowner is ready to become part of the project, we work with them to reach a lease agreement that allows us to develop, build and operate the project and spells out how the land owner will be compensated over the life of the project. Once an agreement is in place, RWE begins doing all the development activities needed to make the project a reality: measuring the resource, establishing how and where the project will be connected to the grid, and performing all the environmental and other studies needed to secure the permits to build the project.

Assessment

Resource investigation

We can then compare that information to historic data in order to fully understand the renewable energy potential of your land. This measurement process lasts at least one year.

Transmission

Energy on the grid

At the same time that RWE is measuring the resource, RWE is working with the transmission system operator to determine how energy from the project can be put into the electric grid.

Site design

Permitting and real estate review

Next, RWE’s team of engineering professionals works with a wide variety of stakeholders to design the most efficient renewable energy project possible at the site. For a wind farm, when this stage is complete, we can tell you how many turbines will go on your land. Many different factors will affect the final site plan, including resource characteristics, environmental constraints and obstructions, and federal, state and local zoning requirements.

Marketing

Selling the power

Depending upon the market conditions, RWE may elect to sell the energy on the open market, enter into a contract to sell the energy to a utility, power marketer or commercial client, or market the power through another offtake arrangement.

Constructing a renewable energy project

Working with landowners to maintain existing uses of your property

Building a renewable energy project generally takes 6 to 12 months. For example, construction of a wind farm consists of improving or installing roads capable of transporting turbine parts, excavating and installing foundations, erecting tower sections, installing nacelles, hubs, and blades with cranes, trenching underground cable, and installing a limited amount of overhead transmission line. On all of its projects, RWE uses modern, utility scale wind turbines that operate smoothly and quietly even in high winds.

Landowners and RWE Clean Energy