Scout Clean Energy plans to begin the first phase of construction on a wind farm in rural Carroll County within 30 to 60 days, a company official said Monday, Oct. 14.
Scout, based in Boulder, Colo., plans for the Nimbus project to expand over approximately 9,000 acres — about 14 square miles — in Carroll County, much of it along County Road 905 south of Green Forest. Scout says the project could generate up to 180 megawatts of electricity at peak demand — enough, the company says, to power almost 30,000 homes. The project will include 30 wind turbines — four of which the company says will be 591 feet tall and the other 26 that the company says will be 644 feet tall. The turbines will be placed on private property, the owners of which have signed lease agreements with Scout.
Scout hosted an open house at the Berryville Community Center on Monday to offer the public a chance to ask questions about the project’s construction phase.
“Our emphasis as a company is to keep everyone informed,” said Mark Wengierski, Scout’s vice president of East Region development. “So not just our landowners, but the entirety of that community. So the goal here today is to get the community out to ask questions. We’ve got all the subject matter experts here. So whether it has to do with birds or construction and height of turbines or how we get them in the ground, we’re inviting everyone out to ask their questions so they can get the answers they’re looking for.”
Wengierski said the company expects to begin construction on the project soon.
“We’re probably about 30 to 60 days out from actually starting construction on the project,” he said. “With these projects, it’s a phased approach to construction. We’ve already done some staging at the project site, brought in a construction trailer. You’re going to see additional activity ramp up over the next 30, 60 days as we move into full construction.”
A display at Monday’s open house showed a construction timeline beginning with tree clearing in November 2024 and proceeding through various phases and culminating with the project beginning commercial operations in March 2026.
A company spokesman said Scout would not comment on a lawsuit filed Oct. 1 in Carroll County Circuit Court. That complaint, filed by Fayetteville attorney Matt Bishop on behalf of a group of 25 landowners, challenges the legality of a road use and maintenance agreement between the company and Carroll County and seeks an injunction that would prevent the county from acting on the agreement.
The potential impact on county roads is one of several concerns cited by opponents of the project, who say it also will be harmful to wildlife, have adverse health effects and pose a potential safety risk for humans, along with disturbing the natural beauty of the area. Opponents of the project also say Scout’s ownership can be traced to Chinese interests.
