Wind money for an Oregon County's Residents

Every resident of Sherman County, Oregon will receive a $590 check for their share of this year's wind-energy revenues. And four small towns there will each receive $100,000.

They have 550 wind turbines, and the payments will continue until 2025. Property owners there receive up to $6,000 per turbine per year, and some have as many as 30 on their wheat farms. The county's population is only 1,753, 3/4ths of whom are over 60.

Oregon as a whole generates 2305 MW of wind energy, and this one small county generates 43% of it. Wind generates about 7% of Oregon's total electricity generation.