LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Wind farm request OK’d 

Credit:  Written by Rory McClannahan, Mountain View Telegraph, www.mountainviewtelegraph.com 27 January 2011 ~~

Nearly everyone packed into the Torrance County Commission chambers Wednesday morning supported a request by Iberdrola Renewables for a special use district on 87,000 acres near Encino that will be home to the El Cabo wind farm.

The one exception may have been from Kurt Sommer, an attorney representing Singleton Properties, which owns a large ranch adjacent to the proposed wind farm. And even Sommer said his questioning of the project didn’t mean he is against it.

“The Singletons don’t necessarily oppose the project,” Sommers told commissioners. “I think the application does not meet the provisions of your own zoning code.”

Despite the concerns outline by Sommers, which essentially questioned whether the county’s zoning codes allowed using a special use district for a wind farm, commissioners voted unanimously to approve the request from Portland-based Iberdrola.

The commission made its vote after a lengthy hearing followed by and executive session with Dennis Wallin, the county’s attorney.

Mark Stacy, director of business development for Iberdrola, and Matt Heck, project director for El Cabo, gave a run down of the company’s proposal.

Stacy explained that the wind farm would be located on 87,000 acres of private land just west of Encino, but added that only 2 percent of the land would be used.

The project would include 149 wind generators up to 499 feet tall.

Once operational, the wind generators could produce up to 298 megawatts of electricity, which is enough electricity to supply about 298,000 homes.

Iberdrola would most likely sell the electricity to consumers outside of New Mexico, Stacy said, but a customer for the power would not be sought until the project is ready for construction.

“We think what we are doing is good,” Stacy said. “We consider ourselves to be part of the communities where we develop projects.”

What had most people at the hearing throwing their support to the project is the economic development potential.

In a slideshow presentation, Heck said that the construction phase of the project would inject up to $12 million into the local economy and produce about 160 construction jobs. After the project becomes operational, El Cabo will employ at least five people permanently, maybe more, he said.

He added that property owners involved with the project will still be able to use their land.

“Ranching around wind turbines has been done all around the country and the property owners in Torrance County will be able to continue their operations,” Heck said.

Stacy said that Iberdrola will most likely apply to Torrance County for an industrial revenue bond for the project, but did not say what amount would be requested.

Industrial revenue bonds allow industrial developers to sell bonds to finance projects.

In return, the county would forego collecting property taxes on the property in exchange for payments from Iberdrola to go to local school districts to make up for the loss.

Heck said Iberdrola would like to start construction on the project by spring 2012 with completion by the end of that year.

Source:  Written by Rory McClannahan, Mountain View Telegraph, www.mountainviewtelegraph.com 27 January 2011

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon