After years of public advocacy at local meetings, Alissa Cale signs a turbine blade at a milestone celebration in late July. The Timbermill project is expected to be operational this December.
In late July, Alissa Cale, land asset manager, stepped up to a 242-foot-long wind turbine blade and signed her name in blue marker. She was participating in a blade signing event that brought together about 250 stakeholders of the Timbermill wind project in North Carolina — including the governor and local officials — to celebrate a significant milestone toward completion.
In the following weeks, the massive blade was one of many installed on turbines for the 189-megawatt, utility-scale Timbermill project. Positioned to harness steady coastal winds from Albemarle Sound, Timbermill is expected to be operational later this month.
Timbermill is North Carolina’s second utility-scale wind project and Weyerhaeuser’s seventh. There will be 45 turbines in total — 16 on Weyerhaeuser timberlands, and most of the others located on local farms.
“I’ve been with the company for 32 years, and this project probably took the most persistence and determination,” Alissa says. “It was a great feeling to sign that blade in July. I didn’t realize it at the time, but now that multiple turbines have been built, I can see them from my house on the Albemarle Sound. It’s fun to think one of them has my name on it!”
Cranes hoist the pieces of a wind turbine into place. The Timbermill project includes 45 wind turbines, 16 of which are on Weyerhaeuser property.
RALLYING A COMMUNITY
Timbermill was conceived over a decade ago by Apex Clean Energy. But momentum slowed in 2017 when North Carolina implemented an 18-month moratorium on new wind projects. And many Chowan County residents were uncertain about the project.
“There can be a lot of anxiety about wind projects,” Alissa says. “Some people are worried about how their views will change. Others don’t realize how small each turbine’s footprint really is, just about half an acre. And some have heard or read scary rumors that aren’t true.”
Alissa worked alongside representatives from Apex, third-party experts and even the Sierra Club to address concerns and gain support for the project. Public backing is not only crucial for obtaining the necessary permits to move forward, but it also reflects our core value of citizenship. Whether talking at local hunting clubs or attending dozens of government hearings, Alissa focused on facts and data.
But first, she listened.
“There was a lot of concern about how the turbines might usher in new uses for the land and transform the rural nature of surrounding communities,” she says. “We try to understand those concerns and then show how the land underneath the turbines is more likely to remain forestland and farmland due to the extra revenue they bring.”
A completed turbine on farmland shows a turbine’s small footprint, allowing farmers and foresters alike to work the land around them.
THE POWER OF LISTENING
Alissa says patience and a calm mindset were essential during sometimes harrowing public meetings, where fears stirred passionate opposition. But our history of operations and engagement in the region were important factors.
“It helped that many community members know us thanks to our longtime presence in the community,” she says. “We’ve owned this land since the 1950s, and we’re here for the long term. Throughout our decades as an eastern North Carolina landowner and mill operator, we’ve supported the broader community through festival sponsorships, youth education, workforce initiatives and more. We look forward to continuing those activities and beginning new community partnerships in the area.”
Alissa’s earnest advocacy paid off. She explained how wind farms support landowners and boost local tax bases. Farmers benefit from a steady, drought-resistant source of income while continuing to work the land.
These economic and property rights messages also resonated in the North Carolina statehouse when Nancy Thompson, our senior director of Advocacy and Philanthropy, met with state officials. But the human angle was even more powerful.
“I told the story of a corn and soybean farmer we’d met,” Nancy says. “He had three grown children who were starting their own families. He was confident the extra revenue boost from the wind turbines on his property would help him keep the farm and pass it down to his children and their children.”
Whether talking to the public or public officials, Nancy, like Alissa, says listening is the secret to shepherding a project like this through to the finish line.
“It’s crucial to validate people’s feelings, even when they might be misinformed,” Nancy says. “Only then will they listen to you and be open to reviewing reports and data.”
Some of our Timberlands and CDO employees gather on the service stairs for a turbine during a recent site visit.
FACTS AND FIGURES FOR A PROMISING FUTURE
Plenty of data support the advantages of clean energy, from economic benefits to environmental and health studies. Third-party research indicates that property values often rise even in neighboring areas with views of the turbines. Other studies show fewer impacts on wildlife compared with other buildings or structures, along with decreased air pollution and more consistent utility rates compared to fossil fuels.
“The Timbermill wind project will bring major economic investment to Chowan County and strengthen our onshore wind operations,” North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said at the July signing event. “North Carolina is an epicenter of clean energy, and we look forward to expanding wind, solar and other energy projects throughout our state along with the good paying jobs they bring.”
Governor Cooper’s words are encouraging for Anthony Chavez, our senior director of Renewable Energy within our Corporate Development organization, who also shepherded Timbermill through completion.
“Apex showed remarkable persistence when other developers might have walked from this project,” says Anthony, noting that our expanding portfolio of wind projects has been a significant driver of growth within our broader Natural Climate Solutions business. “Their patience and ours will likely have a ripple effect. In the past, there’s been skepticism about the feasibility of big, land-based wind projects in the southeastern U.S. With Timbermill going online soon, things are looking brighter.”
