Walnut Ridge Wind Farm is owned by MG2 Tribal Energy

MG2 Tribal Energy is owned by Geronimo Wind (a.k.a. Geronimo Energy) and Tekamuk Energy Services

Geronimo Wind (a.k.a. Geronimo Energy) is owned by the Rahn Group.

The Rahn Group is owned by Noel P. Rahn.

Tekamuk Energy Services is owned by the Mesa Grande Band of Missions Indians.

I’m just a simple man. It took me a while to get a real clue how the Production Tax Credit works as the incentive for the money to finance wind farms. Nevertheless, I still ask myself “why so many LLC’s”. The obvious answer is to reduce liability but what’s the real angle here?

Why does a small time player in the wind energy business from Minneapolis area named Rahn chose to call his wind company “Geronimo Wind” or “Geronimo Energy”?

And why does this small time wind company hook up with an Indian group from San Diego area for financing and receive the first ever long term Power Purchasing Agreement from the federal government to build a wind farm in Illinois?

Why does the federal government’s press release and PowerPoint fail to mention the actual price it will spend to buy this energy that is at an alleged savings?

When financers and benefactors of the Production Tax Credit always remain anonymous, why is the Mesa Grande Band of Missions Indians predominantly mentioned in the press release for this wind farm as a partner?

Why does the Obama Executive Order (memorandum) mandate renewable energy from new construction?

Something seems funny here.

Is this Geronimo Wind, owned by Noel Rahm, actually Indian owned or is the name a marketing ploy? Why is the name of the project’s financier so predominant? Is it because the financier is more likely using their name for marketing reasons? To borrow a Hillary Clinton phrase “what difference does it make”. Wind farms are bought, sold and traded like baseball cards to junior high boys. Will the owners of Walnut Ridge really keep this project or flip it? How many times has Walnut Ridge been bought and sold with nothing built?

Even the Department of Energy’s press release states Geronimo is a “commercial wind developer” who “desires very interested in partnering with Tribes to develop energy projects on tribal lands. But they lacked experience working in Indian Country and sought to gain working knowledge of the federal opportunities available to Tribes.” Even still the Department of Energy's spin on this Power Purchasing Agreement is that this company in Indian owned and this project wsa developed through the Indian Energy Act. Again, if the commercial wind developer's s name "Geronimo Energy" is for marketing, what difference does it make?

Why doesn’t the Obama Administration, Department of Energy and the General Services Administration just tell us how much this “clean” energy is really costing us in their press releases and PowerPoints? It really is quite humorous how the federal government tells us wind energy is so economical with the Production Tax Credit included. Who is paying for this energy? Taxpayers. Who is paying for the Production Tax Credit? Taxpayers. Why does this “savings” by the federal government deal feel more like a crony capitalist scam?