A developer may lease or rent your land for the life of the turbines, which is usually about 30 years. You might be compensated with a lump sum or annually through a royalty payment for the amount of electricity produced. Basing the lease on a share of revenues can help capture future increases in the value of wind power. In this arrangement, you retain ownership of your land. A wind easement is a deed or will executed by the owner of a particular plot of land or air space to ensure a wind energy developer adequate exposure to the wind.
Easements run in perpetuity unless the deed provides for termination.
Developers usually compensate for easements with a payment up front. Wind easements must be in writing and must be filed, recorded, and indexed by your county recorder's office. Wind easements can affect your tax picture. Any properties benefited by a wind easement cannot be appreciated by the value of the easement, but any properties burdened by a wind easement must be depreciated by any value lost to the easement. These are factors to consider in arranging a wind easement.