Wasatch Wind gains permit from state ISC
Douglas Budget (view online version of article)
Posted: Wednesday, June 15, 2011 12:53 pm
Adam Herrera
Despite the adamant opposition by neighboring landowners and the Northern Laramie Range Alliance, Wasatch Wind will be allowed to go forward with Pioneer Wind Parks I and II as planned. The Wyoming Industrial Siting Council voted 4-3 Monday to permit the controversial wind farms south of Glenrock.
"We are pleased with the outcome of the hearing yesterday," Wasatch Wind Director of Communications Michelle Stevens said. "We are just going to keep working with the county and the state to continue to develop the Pioneer Wind projects."
Along with Wasatch's approval of the two-year permit, comes several stipulations. Among them, the Utah-based company must incorporate an aircraft detection and warning system that, with FAA approval, would allow the flashing red strobe lights on each turbine to remain off until an aircraft is detected. The technology is already in place in the U.S. on transmission lines and some bridges and has been approved for wind farms in Canada, but it will be the first of its kind on wind turbines in the U.S.
Also included in the stipulations, Wasatch will be required to provide a $18.8 million bond to ensure that once the facility is decommissioned, they will be able to reclaim all materials used in the production of the park.
Wasatch will tentatively begin construction on the new park once it has finalized a wildlife study that is nearly two years in the making. The study, being conducted in correlation with Wyoming Game and Fish standards, is intended to monitor the movements of wildlife in the area in order to determine the least invasive plotting for the wind farms.
"We're also working to finalize the road use agreement with Converse County for Mormon Canyon Road," Stevens said. "They required us to increase the the bond amount for the paved section of Mormon Canyon so we are just trying to finalize those details."
While Wasatch cannot begin construction before the completion of the wildlife study, representatives say that they may begin improvements to Mormon Canyon in the meantime.
