Richard (Butch) Johnson, owner of Johnson Excavating in Foley, MN was interested in having a wind tower. After hiring WERC to produce a site plan to see if this was feasible, they found out that local regulations restricted the height of towers in the county to under 100 feet. Butch worked with the Benton County Planning and Zoning Commission to have it changed to 200 feet. (The FAA requires more information and red warning lights on towers in excess of 200 feet. WERC was then contracted to install a Jacobs 31-20 wind turbine on the outskirts of the west side of Foley, MN

The groundbreaking ceremony was early November 2007 (Butch Johnson pictured above in center, David Winkelman-left, Mark Bauerly-right) . For Butch, wind turbines are an effective, environmentally responsible investment.

To reduce costs, there are financial incentives such as federal and state grants, income tax deductions, property tax exemptions, rebates and cash paid by the power company for excess power generated by the wind generator.

WERC planned, installed and will service their turbine. WERC also helped them apply for a USDA grant which was approved (to offset the cost of their new Jacobs 31-20 wind turbine) .They also made an interconnection agreement with Xcel Energy Company. This way, when they produce more electricity than they use, it will be transferred to the electric company for credit or reimbursement.