September 03, 2020 - 10:58 AM
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Some nearby property owners oppose plans for a wind farm in southeastern Wyoming.
Houston-based ConnectGen seeks to install between 84 and 151 wind turbines that will stand between 500 feet (150 metres) and 675 feet (200 metre) tall in southeastern Albany County, ConnectGen project manager Amanda MacDonald said.
Albany County regulations require wind turbines to be located at least 5.5 times their height away from homes, meaning a 500-foot (150-meter) turbine would need to be at least 2,750 feet (840 metres) from the nearest home.
The distance is out of date and should ensure separation from not only homes but monuments and parks, said Paul Montoya, co-owner of the Vista de Luna Bed and Breakfast near the Ames Monument.
Montoya is circulating a petition for Albany County to reconsider its setback distance for wind turbines, The Cheyenne Post reported.
“The regulations that were put in place by Albany County are well over 10 years old and really haven’t kept up with the current technologies in wind energy,” Montoya said.
The distance is “very much the norm for setbacks” and “more or less identical” to those in neighbouring Carbon and Laramie counties, MacDonald said.
The over $500 million project will create 113 construction jobs and 23-long-term jobs, according to ConnectGen.
News from © The Associated Press, 2020