Feb 9 - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News - Jessica Lowell Wyoming Tribune-Eagle

Leroy Sanford lives on Windy Ridge in Converse County.

With both interest and investment growing in wind energy, his corner of the state might seem like the perfect spot to plant a wind farm.

"They told me the wind blows too hard there," he said.

Even so, developers are interested in Wyoming wind to meet the growing need for energy overall and to be able to offer renewable energy to those who want it.

To help Wyoming farmers, ranchers and rural small business owners understand the developing market sector, the state Department of Agriculture along with local conservation districts have scheduled a series of meetings across the state.

In Wheatland on Wednesday 45 people sat for more than two hours to hear the rundown on the merits of different types of renewable energy, and who has grant or loan money and technical assistance available.

Wind energy was the main focus; farmers in the Midwest have been leasing some of their land for wind development as a hedge against uncertain commodity markets.

One of the constraints is the lack of transmission lines available to move energy from large-scale projects out of the state.

But with plans for lines to be built, maybe within three to five years, now is the time to start planning.

And they got a warning from Ed Werner, one of the presenters from the Converse Area New Development Organization, about prospectors for wind energy.

"You might hear about land men," Werner said. "Really, they are land sharks. They want to get as much from you and do as little for you as they can," he said.

The bone of contention is the data that's collected -- usually a year's worth. On top of its information value, it's considered a marketable asset.

Under contracts that prospectors offer, they can lease private property to erect measuring devices, but the information collected -- wind speed, temperature and barometric pressure among other things -- valuable in the eyes of developers, is not shared with the landowner.

In at least one case, the rancher was told that the wind potential on the ranch wasn't all that great, but he was offered a deal to sell his wind interest for pennies on the dollar.

When he spent the money to collect data himself, the rancher found he actually had good potential for wind development.

"Get some legal advice," Werner said, directing people to contact the University of Wyoming law school.

"And make sure you get your data," he said.

Sanford said he's heard of one land man circulating in his neighborhood outside Douglas, but they haven't come knocking on his door yet.

"I'm mighty glad I came."