North Dakota Code 17-04-05 – Wind energy leases – Termination
1. A lease for wind energy purposes is void and terminates if the following have not occurred with respect to the property that is the subject of the lease within five years after the lease commences:
Terms Used In North Dakota Code 17-04-05
- following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute means the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- Process: means a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- Property: includes property, real and personal. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
- written: include "typewriting" and "typewritten" and "printing" and "printed" except in the case of signatures and when the words are used by way of contrast to typewriting and printing. See North Dakota Code 1-01-37
a. A certificate of site compatibility or conditional use permit has been issued, if required; and
b. A transmission interconnection request is in process and not under suspension.
2. A wind lease is presumed to be abandoned if a period of thirty-six consecutive months has passed with no construction or operation of the wind farm facility. If the operator of the wind farm facility does not file a plan with the public service commission outlining the steps and schedule for continuing construction or operation of the facility within the thirty-six month period, the owner of the energy rights may provide, by certified mail or other personal delivery to the owner of the wind easement, a sixty-day written notice of the intent to terminate the lease. If, within sixty days of the receipt of the notice of the intent to terminate, the owner of the lease fails to provide a written objection to the notice by certified mail or other personal delivery, the owner of the energy rights may file a notice of termination with the county recorder in the county in which the real property is located. Termination of the easement becomes effective when the notice of termination is filed and recorded with the county recorder.