A shifting stance on wind company
Just days after a news conference announcing the arrival of Colorado Springs’ first wind energy company, the deal appears to have hit heavy turbulence.
The Colorado Springs Regional Economic Development Corp., which arranged the deal to bring Rocky Wind Power to the city, sent out a news release Monday raising questions about the company’s credibility and past performance.
Mike Kazmierski, EDC president, said that since Thursday’s announcement, several people had contacted him with complaints about Prevailing Power, the Iowa wind company owned by Rocky Wind owners Steve and Pam Stultz, including at least four consumer complaints filed with the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office could not be reached on Monday.
Furthermore, Kazmierski said, questions had been raised about the technology the company planned to bring to Colorado Springs.
“At this point, he has some issues to resolve in Iowa,” Kazmierski said. “Whether that means he comes here at some point is his call.”
It’s a dramatic shift in tone from Thursday’s news conference announcing Rocky Wind’s decision to locate in Colorado Springs, when Kazmierski called Rocky Wind a “very strong, reputable company.” The conference was attended by Mayor Lionel Rivera, El Paso County Commission Chairman Dennis Hisey and local business and environmental leaders.
Steve Stultz said he was upfront about Prevailing Power’s problems, which he blamed on faulty generators from an outside supplier, and he defended the efficiency of the rooftop wind turbines Rocky Wind was planning to build here.
“It’s blown way out of proportion,” he said. “It breaks my heart. We were so excited about Colorado Springs.”
Rocky Wind leased a 14,000-square-foot building, with plans to employ 25 people initially, with the potential for up to 140 jobs.
In a Gazette story on Sunday, Ron Stimmell, small wind manager for the American Wind Energy Association, said that other rooftop turbines had failed to meet expectations because there was generally not enough wind at rooftop level for turbines to operate efficiently.
Steve Stultz contested that, saying that Rocky Wind’s blade design would allow it to succeed where others had failed. He said his first rooftop unit was scheduled to be installed today in Iowa.
“AWEA is a good organization, but they don’t have every fact of every unit,” Steve Stultz said. “We’ve tested these units for two and a half years.”
The EDC put together an incentive package worth $376,000 to bring Rocky Wind to town. That money was in tax rebates, Kazmierski said, and none of it is at risk.
Neither Kazmierski nor Steve Stultz would say the deal is definitely off. Hisey said he still hopes things work out.
“I was excited — I was ready to buy one,” he said.
