About the Author
Mia Ruchie,
Communications Intern
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Every September, National Clean Energy Week (NCEW) highlights the role renewable energy plays in building a brighter future. For Geronimo Power, it’s also a reminder of what makes our work possible: the communities where our projects live and grow.
This year, we marked NCEW by hosting open houses at five of our operating wind and solar projects across the country. From Texas to South Dakota, Illinois to Ohio, each event was a chance to open our doors, share updates, answer questions and – most importantly – connect with our neighbors.
Green River Wind Farm | Lee & Whiteside Counties, IL | August 29, 2025
Roughly 30–40 neighbors came together at Green River, where Brett Kreiser and the team led tours of the Operations & Maintenance building and offered a peek at the turbine SCADA system. Questions flowed about crane work onsite, and local catering from Farmer Smoked BBQ kept spirits high. With many familiar faces returning, it was clear how strong the site’s community relationships have become year after year.
Crocker Wind Farm | Clark County, SD | September 9, 2025
About 25–30 landowners and community members, including some first-timers, joined Marcus Sattler and the Crocker Wind team. Attendees heard a year-in-review of site operations and asked their favorite questions: “How many people work here each day?” and “Is the site monitored at night?” (Answer: yes, thanks to our Remote Operations Center).
Wild Springs Solar | Pennington County, SD | September 11, 2025
At Wild Springs, our team welcomed 13 attendees, nearly double last year’s turnout. Most were local landowners eager to talk about the future of our community involvement in the area. Local favorite JR’s BBQ Pit provided the meal, and in the spirit of giving back, Jeremy Denton and Randy Whelchel delivered leftover food from the event to Corner Stone Rescue Mission in Rapid City. The organization provides shelter, advocacy and essential services for those in need. By sharing the extra food from our events, we honor our commitment to caring for the communities we serve.
Copperhead Solar & Storage | Falls County, TX | September 12, 2025
In Riesel, Xavier Jerrols hand-delivered invitations for Copperhead’s first-ever NCEW open house. Twelve neighbors joined the event, enjoying local catering from Rudy’s BBQ. Attendees left with smiles and a stronger sense of Copperhead’s role in the community.One neighbor put it best: “This is the only company that has reached out to the community. Thank you all for caring enough to learn who we are.”
Yellowbud Solar | Ross & Pickaway Counties, OH | September 25, 2025
Rounding out the celebrations, Allen Hull and the Yellowbud Solar team welcomed about 20 attendees, including landowners, contractors and neighbors. Guests enjoyed City Barbeque, and a highlight came when the Union Township Fire Department brought their squads and fire truck. One young neighbor eagerly explored every switch and lever on the fire truck, running the lights, sirens and even spraying the hose, with the firefighters cheering her on. Her excitement captured the spirit of community that made the event so memorable. Special thanks to Jennie Hull, Allen’s wife, for her help in organizing and setting up this event.
Looking Ahead
Across all five projects, one theme stood out: community matters. Whether through a BBQ meal, a thoughtful Q&A or a simple conversation with a neighbor, these open houses reflected what National Clean Energy Week is all about: celebrating progress and the partnerships that power it.
We’re grateful to everyone who joined us and to our project leads, Brett Kreiser, Marcus Sattler, Jeremy Denton, Xavier Jerrols and Allen Hull, as well as community engagement team members Kenna Bancroft, Samantha Meadows and Abbey Pearson, for bringing these events to life. Together, we’re proving that clean energy isn’t just about power, it’s about people.
