Wind Harvest Continues

By Marilee Johnson, News Editor

County appears to have a bumper crop of wind and will soon be home to a second “farm” to harvest that energy.

Representatives from Colorado Highlands Wind of Littleton and Environ International Corp. of Denver held a public meeting Tuesday night to provide an overview of a new wind farm currently being proposed for three miles northeast of Fleming.

According to Bruce Pohlman, managing member of Colorado Highlands Wind, “We’re here to present information about the project and update the land owners who previously signed agreements for options on the land. But also to convey information as part of the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process.”

The project involves the development of a 90-megawatt wind generating facility, comprised of 60 wind turbines, in a six-square-mile area in eastern Logan County. The project will include an interconnection to the federal power grid, via the Western Area Power Administration’s electrical transmission system.

NEPA requires the consideration of environmental impacts of a proposed project – federal, sate or local – that involves federal funding or work performed by the federal government.

John Imse, a principal with Environ, said the environmental evaluation reviews the impacts of wildlife, habitat and cultural resources.

“We want to make sure the project is not damaging any of those,” Imse said. “We have done most of the surveys and we will also be doing some longer-term monitoring. Our surveyors have walked most every inch of the project area.”

The surveyors have encountered no federal endangered species during the field investigations and no critical habitats have been discovered within the project area.

The 4,500-acre project site is the first wind farm development for Colorado Highlands Wind. Pohlman said the project will have a significant financial impact to Logan County.

“There will be 8 to 10 permanent jobs, plus probably 150 construction jobs next year,” he said.

Sales and use tax should be well over $1 million, Pohlman said, and it’s estimated that approximately $5 million will be generated in annual property tax revenue to the county.

A conditional use permit for the project will come before the Logan County Planning Commission in November. Construction is slated to begin next spring, starting with roads and foundations planned for March-June.

Delivery of the first wind turbine generators should begin in April with erection planned for May-July. The company estimates start up of the turbines beginning in August with commercial operation ready by December.

Pohlman said the company is still in negotiations for the sale of the power to be generated. “There are lots of options,” he said.

The project proposes a 6-mile overhead transmission line along County Roads 85 and 87 and a switch yard south of Highway 6 at County Road 87.

Filed under: In The News by LCEDC