September 17, 2020
Wyoming

Wind farm petition asks planners for changes

Dave Lerner | The Cheyenne Post | Sep 15, 2020 | www.thecheyennepost.com

Opponents of a proposed wind farm in Albany County submitted a petition signed by 1224 people to the Albany County Commissioners yesterday, asking that they review and amend the county’s wind energy regulations.

The wind farm would cover about 26,000 acres in Albany County, stretching from close to the Vedauwoo Recreation Area south and west past Tie Siding, near the Colorado border. The farm is proposed by ConnectGen, a Houston based energy company. ConnectGen has not made a decision on the size of the individual turbines, but a spokesperson said one possibility was turbines as high as 675 feet, much taller than the new Roundhouse project in Laramie County.

But project opponents, led by Vista Bed and Breakfast owner Paul Montoya, are calling for changes in the setback requirements. Setback regulations in Albany County call for a distance of 5.5 times the height of the turbine from the tip of the blade to the ground to the nearest residence. Montoya would like that changed to the property line.

Connectgen project manager Amanda MacDonald said a change like that would doom the project and prevent any turbines from being built.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2020/09/17/wind-farm-petition-asks-planners-for-changes/