Dozens of residents and local organization leaders urged the Livingston County Board on July 17 to approve the Panther Grove 2 wind project, saying the project will bring sustained property tax revenue and philanthropic support to schools, libraries and social-service organizations in the project footprint.

The comments came during the meeting’s public-comment period, which the board limited to 30 minutes. Speakers included farmers and landowners within the project footprint, representatives of the United Way and local libraries, and local elected and appointed officials.

Heather Weber, a Flanagan-area livestock farmer and special-education teacher, said the project would create construction jobs and let farmers “continue with production agriculture” while providing payments through land contracts and good-neighbor agreements. “I feel the funding of Flanagan Schools would help to improve contracts to attain or attract and retain quality teachers,” Weber said.

Deb Howard, executive director of the United Way of Livingston County, said energy-company donations have long supported local programs and that project developers Enbridge and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) “have donated $75,000 to the United Way” in support of county services and food programs.

Adam Dantz, Livingston County’s chief economic development officer, told the board the project footprint is large but the land permanently removed from agriculture is relatively small. “The tax revenue over the life of the project approaches $160,000,000,” Dantz said, and he noted roughly 80 acres would be taken out of production for permanent facilities.

School board member Nathan Hodel said the El Paso-Gridley district (EPG) is estimated to receive about $1,940,000 in 2027 and roughly $39,300,000 over 30 years from the project, and that such revenue could help the district avoid tax-rate increases while meeting state-directed mandates. Library trustee Cheryl Solomonson said the Gridley Public Library Board supports the project, calling the anticipated revenue “an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen our financial foundation.”

Other speakers who said they live or farm inside the project footprint described direct financial benefits. Reid Seibert, who said he lives in the footprint, related that nearby libraries already receive wind-generated tax revenue and that many local residents were “excited about participating in the project.” Farmer Randy Bounds described the project as a “once in perhaps a lifetime” economic opportunity and said participating landowners and nearby communities could see large, ongoing assessed-value increases.

Speakers also noted that much of the project area is adjacent to existing operating wind projects and that many landowners and residences have signed participation agreements. Jacob Kiefer, who identified himself as a beginning farmer in the footprint, said roughly 33,000 acres had signed up and that “over 70% of the residences within a mile of a turbine are signed up.”

No formal county action on Panther Grove 2 took place during the public-comment period. The comments were entered for the record to inform the board’s deliberations on zoning and related approvals.

Speakers who addressed the board were a mix of residents and organization representatives who identified themselves at the podium; their remarks reflected personal, institutional and community interests in the project’s tax and charitable impacts.

Looking ahead, proponents said the projected revenue could fund infrastructure, staffing and services for schools, libraries and nonprofits across the county if the board approves the project at subsequent zoning or permitting stages.