ConnectGen commits nearly $2M to “robust” Community Benefit Program, showing long-term support for Shasta residents
SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. — ConnectGen, LLC (ConnectGen), a renewable energy company focused on developing best-in-class wind, solar, and energy storage projects that will increase America’s supply of low-cost, domestically produced clean energy, is developing the Fountain Wind Project in northeastern Shasta County, near the existing Hatchet Ridge wind farm. Once in operation, the Fountain Wind Project will feature 72 wind turbines with a generation capacity of up to 216 megawatts (MW), the equivalent amount of energy to power more than 86,000 homes in the state of California. ConnectGen has recently released a Community Benefit Program which identifies the many ways in which the Fountain Wind Project will support the Shasta community over the long-term. These local projects and organizations were identified based on direct feedback from members of the community.
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Henry Woltag, Director of Development with ConnectGen remarked, “We’ve spent a lot of time listening to the community, their concerns, and their needs, and we’ve developed this Community Benefit Program to directly address that feedback.”
“We are committed to being an active community member and good neighbor for the duration of the Fountain Wind Project,” Woltag continued, “As such, we are pleased to establish a multifaceted Community Benefit Program that will provide ongoing and meaningful support to the local area and the greater Shasta County community.”
The Fountain Wind Project will be located on approximately 4,500 acres of privately owned timberlands near Highway 299, approximately 6 miles west of Burney and one mile west of the existing Hatchet Ridge Wind Farm. ConnectGen photo
ConnectGen’s Fountain Wind Community Benefit Program will support the following efforts:
- Cedar Creek Elementary Redevelopment ($1,000,000): Based on input from residents and project stakeholders within the Round Mountain and Montgomery Creek communities, ConnectGen has committed a $1,000,000 direct investment in the local community for the purpose of creating and sustaining the Cedar Creek Resource Center at the Mountain Union Elementary School District’s Cedar Creek Elementary School.
- Fall River RCD Fuel Reduction Project ($250,000): ConnectGen recognizes that improved fire safety and fire protection is a matter of extreme importance in Shasta County. ConnectGen has partnered with the Fall River Resource Conservation District (“Fall River RCD”) to develop and implement a fuel reduction and fuel break project along Hwy 299 and Big Bend Rd., adjacent to the wind project, and will be providing funding in the amount of $250,000 to the Fall River RCD for design, permitting, and implementation of the Fuel Break Project.
- Shasta County Sheriff’s Office ($150,000): Following discussions with the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, ConnectGen proposes to commit $150,000 in funding for county-wide public safety purposes. The actual project or program to be funded will be identified in the upcoming weeks.
- Pit River Tribe TERO Contribution ($250,000): Based on communication with the Pit River Tribe, ConnectGen has proposed funding in total of $250,000 for Tribal workforce development programming to be administered by the Tribe’s Tribal Employment Rights office (TERO). In addition, ConnectGen has teamed up with local labor organizations to offer apprenticeship opportunities specifically for tribal members that could lead to life-long careers working in various trades.
- ShastaBeam Internet Expansion ($200,000): Outreach with local stakeholders identified that one of the greatest needs in the community is access to reliable, cost-efficient internet service. ConnectGen has committed to funding two new communications towers, installed by Shasta Beam, that will offer coverage to over 90% of residential and business addresses in the Big Bend, Round Mountain, and Montgomery Creek communities, totaling approximately 700 addresses.
- Community Access to SCT Property: Based on strong interest from local residents and members of the Pit River Tribe, ConnectGen worked with the Fountain Wind Project landowner, Shasta Cascade Timberlands, to develop a program to allow public access to the property for hunting, as well as access to culturally significant sites. This program will be administered by the landowner’s land management company, with assistance from the full-time operational personnel that will be employed by the Fountain Wind Project.
In addition to the Community Benefit Program, the Fountain Wind Project will provide other long-term benefits to Shasta County and the local community. These include an estimated $50 million in property tax revenue over 30 years and more than $3.5 million in sales tax revenue during construction.
Along with the local tax revenues, the project will create more than 200 construction jobs and up to 12 full-time jobs to maintain and operate the project. ConnectGen has committed to using local and regional contractors, to assist in the development, construction, and maintenance of the wind energy project in order to support local jobs and businesses. This commitment is illustrated by an agreement with the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California and the IBEW.
The Fountain Wind Project has applied for a Special Use Permit with Shasta County. Shasta County has prepared an Environmental Impact Report pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act. More information on the Special Use Permit process can be found on the Shasta County website.
To learn more about ConnectGen’s Fountain Wind Community Benefits Program, please visit them online at: www.FountainWind.com/benefits.
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About ConnectGen:
ConnectGen is a renewable energy company comprised of seasoned energy industry professionals focused on developing wind, solar, and energy storage projects across the United States.
Launched in 2018 by private equity firm Quantum Energy Partners, a leading provider of private equity capital to the global energy industry, ConnectGen draws from its extensive experience developing renewable energy and infrastructure projects across the United States.
In total, the ConnectGen team has managed the development, financing, construction, and operation of thousands of megawatts of wind and solar energy across the United States.
Submitted by: Innovent Public Relations
Contact the editor: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.