Daniel A. Yarano, Chair
(Wind)
dyarano@fredlaw.com
Todd A. Taylor
(Biofuels)
ttaylor@fredlaw.com
WIND PROJECTS
Featured Projects:
Trimont Area Wind Farm
The Trimont Area Wind Farm is the nation’s largest landowner-developed wind farm and Minnesota's first commercial-scale, landowner-developed wind farm. The wind farm is located on 8,000 acres of land near Jackson, Minnesota and consists of 67 wind turbines that generate up to 100 megawatts of clean, renewable energy. The electricity generated is enough to serve the annual energy needs of nearly 29,000 Minnesota homes.
The wind farm had its beginnings with a group of 43 farmers in Southern Minnesota who, with the help of Fredrikson & Byron and TurningPoint Management, Inc., formed the Trimont Area Wind Farm LLC and negotiated an agreement with PPM Energy to transfer the responsibility for permitting, constructing, operating, and maintaining the Trimont Area Wind Farm. The wind farm provides energy to Great River Energy. Fredrikson & Byron attorneys Dan Yarano, John Drawz, Sue Steinwall, and Ryan Brauer helped take the project from its beginnings in 2003 to operational in 2005. Their involvement included negotiating the Development and Purchase Option Agreement with PPM Energy, working directly with the State of Minnesota on behalf of PPM to obtain the Certificate of Need, obtaining the necessary permits, negotiating the Power Purchase Agreement with Great River Energy, and obtaining the necessary property rights from all landowners. The business model created for the Trimont Area Wind Farm is now being copied throughout the nation to support the successful development of wind projects.
Odin Wind Farms
Odin Wind Farm LLC generates 20 megawatts of wind power. The land is owned by the Rahns and is located 10 miles southwest of St. James, Minnesota.
Landowner Noel Rahn, who lives near the Trimont Area Wind Farm project, was interested in developing a wind farm on land he owns in Watonwan and Cottonwood Counties. He approached Fredrikson & Byron attorney Dan Yarano for help with the project. Dan worked with Noel’s company, The Rahn Group, to set up an ownership structure through five separate LLCs, each having its own combination of investors and wind turbines. The entire project fits into a Community-Based Energy Development (C-BED) local ownership structure. Dan introduced The Rahn Group to Missouri River Energy Services (MRES) and later negotiated a Power Purchase Agreement between The Rahn Group and Missouri River Energy. The project will provide MRES with energy to meet the electrical needs of 6,800 homes.
Additional Representative Projects:
- Antelope Wind, LLC (New Mexico)
150 MW - Baileyville Wind, LLC (Illinois)
80 MW - Dickinson County Energy 1, LLC (Iowa)
80 MW - Emmet County Energy, LLC (Iowa)
80 MW - Kimball Wind, LLC (Minnesota)
100 MW - Marshall Wind Farm, LLC (Minnesota)
20 MW - M-Power, LLC (North Dakota)
150 MW - Odin Wind Farm, LLC (Minnesota)
20 MW - Shelbyville Wind, LLC (Minnesota)
50 MW - Trimont Area Wind Farm, LLC (Minnesota)
100 MW - Representative clients include: Geronimo Wind Energy, LLC; Energy Maintenance Service, LLC; Invenergy, LLC; John Deere Renewables, LLC; Iberdrola Renewables, Inc.; Project Resources Corporation; and Broadwind Energy, Inc.
BIOFUELS and Biomass PROJECTS
Featured Projects:
Visiam LLC
Visiam LLC works with communities to address environmental issues associated with landfills through the utilization of municipal solid waste for biomass-based energy production. Visiam is helping make communities cleaner and greener, while maintaining a zero-carbon footprint. Fredrikson & Byron attorneys Todd Taylor and Christy Brusven represented Visiam through the initial stages of formation and financing and continue to work with the company as it expands out to various communities.
Crown Iron Works (Biodiesel)
Crown Iron Works is one of the world's largest suppliers of technology, plants and equipment to the oilseed processing and biodiesel industries. Fredrikson & Byron attorney Rich Weiner has assisted Crown Iron Works with acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic alliances in England, Germany, China, Brazil, and India as well as biodiesel projects around the world.
Red Trail Energy (Ethanol Plant)
Red Trail Energy was formed to build an ethanol plant near Richardton, North Dakota. The Red Trail Energy plant is one of the first coal-fired ethanol plants in the nation. By operating with coal, the plant will save 70% savings in energy costs compared to plants fueled with natural gas. Red Trail Energy became operational in January 2007 and will produce 50 million gallons of ethanol annually.
Based on its number of investors, Red Trail Energy needed to file with the SEC and looked to Fredrikson & Byron attorney Todd Taylor for assistance. Fredrikson & Byron continues to handle the organization’s ongoing SEC filings and has also worked with it on its contracts, bank financing, and governance matters. We also helped Red Trail Energy evaluate a potential acquisition by another company.
Biomass Project
A project management and development company with unique experience in the utilization of municipal and other waste as an alternative energy source approached Fredrikson & Byron attorney Todd Taylor for help in acquiring a European biomass gasification technology. The technology breaks down municipal solid waste and turns it into usable non-fossil fuel energy. Todd is working with the company to negotiate and acquire worldwide rights to apply this technology, which could be used with co-generation for biodiesel and ethanol plants, as well as working with it on financing, contracts, and related matters.
Additional Representative Projects:
- Bepex (Minnesota)
Renewable energy & bio-based products process development, scale up and industrial scale process equipment - Crown Iron Works (Minnesota)
Biodiesel design and equipment supplier - Easy Energy Systems, Inc. (Minnesota)
Small-scale modular ethanol production - Ethanol Plant (name undisclosed) (South America)
Cellulosic ethanol and biomass power - JetE Corporation (Minnesota)
Distributed advanced biofuels - Novus Energy, LLC (Minnesota)
Cellulosic ethanol and biomass - Otoka Energy (Minnesota)
Biomass to energy - Otter Tail Ag Enterprises, LLC (Minnesota)
Ethanol, Securities counsel - Rational Energies, LLC (Minnesota)
Waste to biofuel - Red Trail Energy, LLC (North Dakota)
Ethanol - Thor Plasma (Minnesota)
MSW gasification to energy - Visiam, LLC (Minnesota)
Biomass pre-treatment
Solar PROJECTS
Featured Projects:
Best Power Intl., LLC
Best Power’s 400 kW solar project was financed in part by customers of Xcel Energy through a Grant from the Renewable Development Fund, a Treasury Grant and owner equity. Fredrikson & Byron acted as development counsel.
Best Power’s 600 kW solar project is the largest solar power facility in Minnesota and is located on the roof of the Minnesota Convention Center. The project was financed in part with a grant from the Renewable Development Fund, Treasury Grant and owner equity. Fredrikson & Byron acted as development counsel.
HVTLs
Our experience with HVTLs includes permitting, environmental, siting, routing, and condemnation.
±400 kV dc 230 kV
115 kV 345 kV