Press Releases
10/31/2019
Van Wert County Celebrates New Year with New Funding
Van Wert County Celebrates New Year with New Funding
Local Wind Farms Donate to Historic Preservation Projects and Scholarship Fund
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January 14, 2011
VAN WERT, Ohio. — The communities of Van Wert and Paulding Counties are kicking off the new year with new funding initiatives that will help restore local landmarks, as well as offer much needed scholarships to deserving youth in the area. The counties are able to jump-start these civic-oriented projects thanks to donations from Iberdrola Renewables, developer of the new Dog Creek and Prairie Creek Wind Farms and owner of the 304 megawatt (MW) Blue Creek Wind Farm now under construction.
Historic Preservation
The Van Wert County Historical Society received a donation of $10,000 from Iberdrola Renewables, which is being used in part to replace the shake shingles on the historic Clark Mansion. Also known as the House of Seven Oaks, the Clark Mansion is used as a museum for the entire community to enjoy.
“Clark Mansion is a beautiful and beloved building in Van Wert,” said Dan Litchfield, business developer for Iberdrola Renewables. “We’re proud to be a part of the community and its efforts to restore such a treasured piece of local history.”
Iberdrola Renewables also donated $5,000 to the nearby John Paulding Historical Society, which will use the funds to install historic markers by ghost towns near the Blue Creek project area.
“The Van Wert County Historical Society certainly appreciates the interest that Dan and Iberdrola Renewables have taken in preserving the history of Van Wert County,” said past President Joe Steffan. “Several years ago the trustees restored a 19th century windmill and erected it on the west side of our Red Barn. The inventive American farmer used the wind to supply energy to pump the water for his livestock and family. Windmills dotted the landscape throughout Van Wert County but slowly disappeared. In the 21st century, wind is being used again to supply energy, and windmills will be reappearing in the county. If one ever doubts the genius of the American farmer, he or she should visit the Red Barn at the museum.”
Scholarship Fund for Van Wert County Foundation
In an exciting partnership, the Van Wert County Foundation has established the Iberdrola Renewables Scholarship Fund. With a donation of $30,000 from Iberdrola Renewables, the scholarships are designed to support local students who choose to study renewable energy and attend a school within the University System of Ohio. Residents of every township where Iberdrola Renewables is currently building, Blue Creek, or developing, Dog Creek and Prairie Creek, are eligible. Students interested in the Iberdrola Renewables Scholarship Fund should contact the Van Wert County Foundation for more information.
In addition to these initiatives, Iberdrola Renewables is thrilled to be supporting terrific local organizations like the Van Wert Peony Pageant, Paulding Baseball, Van Wert 911 Operations, Van Wert Junior Achievement, and the Van Wert County Junior Fair Board.
Progress for Blue Creek Wind Power Project
Construction for Blue Creek Wind Power Project, which spans townships in both Van Wert and Paulding Counties, is ahead of schedule. When complete, the wind farm will provide 304 MW of clean, homegrown energy to power approximately 76,000 homes annually.
Expected to be completed within the year, the Blue Creek Wind Power Project also brings approximately $1.1 million in annual lease payments to local landowners, $2.7 million in annual local taxes, 15 to 20 new permanent jobs, over 300 construction jobs, and local purchase of some supplies and construction materials. In fact, many of the subcontractors and suppliers currently constructing the wind farm are from Ohio, including:
- Continental Secret Service from Toledo, Ohio – Project site security
- Deitering Landscaping Insurance from Leipsic, Ohio – Erosion control and seeding
- Gattshall Excavating and Trucking from Van Wert, Ohio – Onsite equipment and material trucking
- Hite Concrete Pumping from Neapolis, Ohio – Concrete conveying for foundation construction
- J&B Steel Erectors from Hamilton, Ohio – Rebar Installation for foundation
- Jones Farm Drainage from Van Wert, Ohio – Drain tile installation and repair
- Professional Service Industries from Lima, Ohio – Construction materials testing
- Sekel Management Group from Van Wert, Ohio – Drain tile installation and repair
- Stoneco from Convoy, Ohio – Aggregate supply for roads, WTG sites, stream crossing, and ready mix
- The Shelly Company from Findlay, Ohio – Bituminous paving for county/township road improvement and repair
- True Vine Tree Trimming from Grover Hill, Ohio – Clearing and grubbing
- Wortman Bros. LLC from Van Wert, Ohio – O&M building contractor
- All Purpose Contracting from Delphos, Ohio – Site prep subcontractor
- Mobile Mini, Inc. from Cincinnati, Ohio – Construction office trailer rental
- Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative, Inc. from Paulding, Ohio – Temporary construction power
- Jerandan Portable Toilets from Van Wert, Ohio – Equipment rentals
- Kirby Risk from Lima, Ohio – Local electrical supplier
- Fastenal from Van Wert, Ohio – Hardware material
About Iberdrola Renewables:
Iberdrola Renewables, Inc. is headquartered in Portland, Ore., with more than 850 employees. It is part of the Iberdrola Renovables global group, the world’s leading provider of wind power with more than 11,000 MW of renewable energy installed around the world, and more than 4,300 MW of that wind power located in the U.S. www.iberdrolarenewables.us.
Media Contact:
Art Sasse, Director, Communications & Brand, Iberdrola Renewables, 503-796-7740
Paul Copleman, Media Relations, Iberdrola Renewables, 207-641-2805
About Avangrid: Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $44 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, Avangrid has two primary lines of business: networks and renewables. Through its networks business, Avangrid owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Through its renewables business, Avangrid owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. Avangrid employs approximately 8,000 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 as one of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s best corporate citizens. In 2024, Avangrid ranked first among utilities and 12 overall. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2024 for the sixth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.
About Iberdrola: Iberdrola is one of the world's biggest energy companies and a leader in renewables, spearheading the energy transition to a low carbon economy. The group supplies energy to almost 100 million people in dozens of countries. With a focus on renewable energy, smart networks and smart solutions for customers, Iberdrola’s main markets include Europe (Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Greece), the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. The company is also present in growth markets such as Japan, Taiwan, Ireland, Sweden and Poland, among others.
With a workforce of nearly 40,000 and assets in excess of €141.7 billion, across the world, Iberdrola helps to support 400,000 jobs across its supply chain, with annual procurement of €12.2 billion. A benchmark in the fight against climate change, Iberdrola has invested more than €130 billion over the past two decades to help build a sustainable energy model, based on sound environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles.
