March 11, 2022
Wyoming
Wyoming
CHEYENNE – After one of its wind turbines collapsed last month near Cheyenne, an energy company is still investigating the cause.
The turbine, which fell on Feb. 23, was located at the Happy Jack wind site west of Cheyenne. Charlotte, North Carolina-based Duke Energy runs the site.
Duke Energy spokesperson Valerie Patterson said earlier this week that the cause of failure was still unknown.
“We are approaching our removal and cleanup efforts methodically and with care,” she wrote in an email. “There are standards and requirements that must be followed when removing this material, and we are taking all the necessary steps and following state and other regulations as part of our efforts.”
There were no injuries as a result of the incident, Patterson said, adding that the company had “notified the appropriate agencies.”
“Clean-up efforts are being conducted by site personnel, our engineering team and a third-party engineering firm,” she said.
Patterson said “everything that has fallen” would be cleaned up “to restore the area to its original condition.” The materials primarily consist of steel, as well as fiberglass, she said.
Located in Laramie County, the wind site has 14 turbines and supplies energy to Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power, a division of Black Hills Energy, according to Duke Energy’s website. The site began operating in 2008.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2022/03/11/energy-company-investigating-collapsed-wind-turbine/