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 and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Batteries hold promise for Wyoming wind power
CASPER, Wyo. — A $44 million large-scale battery system proposed for a wind farm in Texas could be a “game-changer” for wind energy, an industry spokesman says. Yet others in the wind power industry and the natural gas power industry, which provides a lot of fill-in power for wind energy, aren’t quite as excited. The 36-gigawatt battery system — the largest known system tied to a wind farm — is slated for installation at the Duke Energy Corp.-owned 153-megawatt Notrees . . .
Packed crowd argues over wind farm permits in Wyoming
DOUGLAS — Before a packed courtroom serving as a hearing room, Converse County commissioners received comments for and against a permit for two wind farms south of Glenrock. Given the chance to show support for development of the wind farms, proposed by Park City, Utah-based Wasatch Wind Inc., approximately three-fourths of the audience members stood to their feet Monday night. “Converse County needs all the industrial improvements we can get,” said Hershel Wickett, a landowner from Glenrock and volunteer firefighter . . .
County tables wind permits
No decision, at least not yet. That was the Converse County commissioners’ ruling following Monday’s hearing on the highly controversial, proposed Pioneer Wind Parks I and II. Citing an overwhelming response to Wasatch Wind’s application for a county permit and the need to absorb all the information, the commissioners tabled any decision pending answers to the myriad questions and protests filed by opponents. As for a timeline, the closest County Commission Chairman Mike Colling would come was to say the . . .
Pioneer Wind Park debate heats up in advance of county hearing Monday
As many local residents know, the winds of Wyoming are one of this land’s most distinguishing features. Invisible, yet powerful, this force has been known to carry a small song bird on a gentle breeze or rip enormous structures down to their foundations. But lately, this ever-present element has been bringing more than just tumble weeds to Converse County; a huge debate is now brewing over the question: are wind turbines really necessary? Wasatch Wind has proposed the construction of . . .
Pioneer Wind Park debate heats up in advance of county hearing Monday
As many local residents know, the winds of Wyoming are one of this land’s most distinguishing features. Invisible, yet powerful, this force has been known to carry a small song bird on a gentle breeze or rip enormous structures down to their foundations. But lately, this ever-present element has been bringing more than just tumble weeds to Converse County; a huge debate is now brewing over the question: are wind turbines really necessary? Wasatch Wind has proposed the construction of . . .
Commissioners want more wind energy revenues
Unless county commissions take a hard line on taxing wind energy production, local governments will lose the ability to recover the impacts of this growing industry, Natrona County commissioners said Tuesday. “There’s an opportunity for counties to receive a [steady] stream of revenue,” Bill McDowell said during a work session. “We need a bigger piece of the action.” In its 2011 session, the Legislature did not pass a bill that would have had wind energy companies pay higher generation taxes . . .
Power proposal put to public
Public comments regarding a proposed 600-kilovolt extra-high voltage electrical transmission line running through the utility corridor between Lake Las Vegas and Calico Ridge are being accepted by the Bureau of Land Management’s Wyoming field office until April 4. The proposed two-conductor (transmission line) system is being planned to run from south-central Wyoming, through the federally designated Henderson utility corridor, and terminate at the Marketplace substation in Boulder City’s Eldorado Valley – a distance of some 725 miles that runs through . . .
Wyoming Legislature fails to settle eminent domain issue
With hundreds of turbines making up individual wind farms, the potential number of collector lines can be numerous and involve multiple landowners surrounding the land where the wind turbines are located.
Wind energy eminent domain bill moves in Wyoming Senate
A proposed two-year extension of Wyoming’s moratorium on wind developers’ eminent domain powers passed another legislative hurdle Wednesday. By a voice vote, state senators passed House Bill 230 on first reading. If left unchanged, the legislation must pass two more Senate votes before heading to Gov. Matt Mead for his signature. Supporters of the bill say that allowing the current one-year moratorium to expire on July 1 would raise landowners’ wariness of eminent domain when dealing with wind developers on . . .
In Wyoming, push to mine rare earths in US forest
SUNDANCE, Wyo. — A Canadian company hoping to compete with China’s near-monopoly of rare earth elements – metals critical for everything from U.S. military weaponry to wind turbines – wants to open a strip mine inside a national forest in northeast Wyoming. Processing raw ore into rare earths is an intensive operation that has been associated with radioactive water spills. But with China slashing exports of rare earths and Washington concerned the U.S. military could face a shortage of materials . . .
