Wind Power News: Wyoming
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted.
Wind rules for state lands sail through
CHEYENNE — Proposed rules for commercial wind-energy production on state trust lands have met with a minimum of concern in a series of hearings across the state.
The Office of State Lands and Investments held a hearing in Cheyenne on Thursday on draft rules that will eventually be presented to the Board of Land Commissioners.
“We’ve learned through experience things that are not supported by our current rules,” said Butch Parks to the seven people attending.
Parks and the other state officials said . . .
Developers say timing key to Colorado wind power link
Developers of a proposed power transmission line linking southeast Wyoming wind fields and the Colorado Front Range say they believe in the project and are forging slowly ahead, despite a Colorado utility’s rejection of Wyoming wind.
New Jersey-based LS Power and the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority are partnering to develop the 180-mile line between substations at Wheatland, Wyo., and Brush, Colo. It’s one of six major transmission lines proposed by developers hoping to tap Wyoming’s potential wind power resources.
The so-called Intertie project . . .
Slow down on wind energy
Why the rush for wind energy farms? Many will say yes the wind is free, so go for it. True the wind is free, but when the wind does not blow no electrical power is made. When this happens somewhere on the electrical grid coal-fired boilers will pick up the load. If we over-balance the electrical load on the grid with too much or too many wind turbines we may not be able to balance the electrical grid system.
The coal-fired . . .
It’s not a wind farm
I am curious: why do we call a pasture filled with giant industrial wind turbines a farm? Farms by definition are tracts of land dedicated to a cultivated crop or where animals are raised. I have searched numerous dictionaries and have found no reference to a wind farm.
Let us be honest, what we are witnessing are industries’ use of the land and the wind to generate electricity. Perhaps a wind farm is more in keeping with Wyoming’s agriculture heritage, but . . .
Converse County hires Clarion for wind regs
If Converse County is going to have wind power, there needs to be some sort of zoning for it, according to the county commission. The commissioners know they can’t have somebody installing a 300-ft. tall turbine in a backyard in the middle of town, but don’t expect a resolution anytime soon.
The commissioners invited Senior Consultant Don Elliot of Clarion Associates’ Denver office to come and speak about zoning and land use regulation. The hour-long, largely hypothetical conversation revolved primarily around . . .
Freudenthal signs bills on wind energy
CHEYENNE — Wyoming will have more authority over the siting and development of wind farms and the state will begin taxing wind energy production under bills that Gov. Dave Freudenthal signed into law Friday.
The $1-per-megawatt-hour tax on wind energy generated in the state goes into effect in 2012. The wind industry fought the tax bill unsuccessfully this session. Industry lobbyists had urged lawmakers to study the issue more and warned that higher taxes would discourage development.
The governor also signed a . . .
Judge upholds Dunlap dismissal
Dr. Jason A. Lillegraven aimed to have a day in court to protest PacifiCorp’s Dunlap Ranch wind energy project.
He’s not going to get it.
Wade Waldrip, Carbon County District Court judge, ruled to dismiss Lillegraven’s petition for judicial review in a decision letter filed Monday in District Court.
“The court determines that Dr. Lillegraven has not successfully established that he has been ‘aggrieved’” by the Siting Council’s decision to grant a permit for the wind farm, the letter read.
The wind farm is . . .
Wind will continue to be topic for committees
CHEYENNE – Generating electricity with wind will get the attention of several legislative committees during the interim between legislative sessions.
On Thursday, the Legislature’s Management Council adopted priorities for the interim leading up to the 2011 general session.
The Legislature’s Judiciary and Revenue interim committees will have wind issues as their top priorities for the interim.
The Legislature also appropriated $20,000 to continue a Task Force on Wind Energy.
For the Joint Judiciary Interim Committee, the top priority is looking into wind energy rights. . . .
Proposed wind farm draws criticism
At a meeting Tuesday, Sweetwater County Commissioner Randy Walker may very well have echoed the feelings many local residents have about Teton Winds, LLC, proposed wind farm on White Mountain.
“I don’t think most people are against wind farms in general,” Walker said. “ It’s just where this one is proposed. It’s location, location, location.”
The commission meeting Tuesday, as well as a BLM public hearing last week served as a chance for residents and local leaders to discuss the proposed . . .
Wind bills clear Wyoming Legislature
Two bills that would enact more regulations for wind development have cleared the Wyoming Legislature.
The House gave final approval Wednesday to Senate File 66, which would extend the state’s permitting authority over wind farms and their related collector transmission lines.
Also Wednesday, the Senate gave final approval to House Bill 79, which would set a moratorium on the use of eminent domain for merchant wind power collector lines until June 30, 2011.
The Senate also approved the continuation of the Legislature’s wind . . .
