Landowner Spotlight: Al Blum

For the past 75 years, I have lived in Emmet County. The sense of community here is strong – it’s one of the many reasons I find myself still here after so many years. Throughout my time in northwest Iowa, I’ve looked for ways to improve and give back to the community that has provided so much to me and my family. One of the major ways I believe we can positively impact our community’s future is through the development of a wind farm. 

In 2007, I was approached by a wind energy developer who believed the area had some of the best wind resources in the state. I was taken aback – sure, it can get windy here, but I honestly never thought much of it. 

At the time, I was chairman of the Estherville Industrial Development Corporation and an insurance agent, serving local farmers in the area. I recruited 12 well-respected farmers from the community – Red Rock’s founders – to join me in providing the initial seed capital that eventually funded a wind energy project in Emmet, Dickinson, and Clay counties. 

Through the many ups and downs of the process over the years, we kept faith that someday this Project would come to life. Once transmission became available in the area, we were excited to partner with Invenergy and the Red Rock Wind project became one of the largest – and one of the only – community-founded projects in the country.

The Red Rock Wind Project will have the same positive impact on Emmet, Dickinson, and Clay counties that other Invenergy projects have brought across the state. It will power 120,000 American homes, create up to 300 construction jobs and approximately eight permanent wind technician positions, all while providing an average of $3.5 million in property tax benefit each year, stimulating the economy and supporting the community. Red Rock is a community-owned project that is here to benefit Emmet, Dickinson, and Clay counties. If we take advantage of the wind resources provided on our land, we can create lasting benefits that we can harvest for years to come.

- Al Blum, Project Founder & Landowner