The Albany County Board of Commissioners approved plans in July for the Rail Tie Wind Project.
The 540-Megawatt wind farm will take place on 26,000 acres on land in southeastern Albany County with 80% of the project on private lands and 20% on public lands.
“Ultimately there’s a need to move to renewable energies,” Albany County Board of Commissioners Chairman Pete Gosar said. “This was an opportunity for Albany County to be engaged in that.”
The project is being developed by ConnectGen, a clean energy company based out of Texas.
ConnectGen cited Albany County as an ideal place to develop the project because the area has one of the strongest wind resources in the world.
ConnectGen has to meet a variety of code and environmental regulations in order to proceed with the project.
In a hearing with Albany County Commissioners, they outlined plans for construction, including which roads they would use for transporting the wind turbines.
ConnectGen also agreed to stop construction during times where mule deer winter range overlaps with the construction area and add fire mitigation technology to the turbines.
Additionally, ConnectGen will continue to hear from landowners and the Albany County Commision throughout project development.
Chairman Gosar cited economic potential as another reason for the Albany County Board of Commissioners to approve the project.
“There was also a lot of economic impact that was going to be brought with the Rail Tie wind project that was important to Albany County,” Gosar said. “Albany County is generally a poor county and any economic development is helpful.”
The wind project is expected to bring economic benefits to Albany County in the form of property and sales taxes as well as a wind excise tax.
ConnectGen claims that over the course of the wind farm’s lifetime, it will generate $176 million in tax revenues for Albany County and the state of Wyoming.
The Rail Tie Wind Project has faced opposition from people who say that the turbines will be disruptive and will not benefit residents of Albany County.
Wywindhere is a group that has been vocal in opposing the Rail Tie Wind Project, citing claims that it will ruin Wyoming landscapes like Vedauwoo and Happy Jack recreation areas.
“Our beautiful and wide-open spaces are falling victim to the industrialization of nature,” the group said. “Blinking red lights, in place to ward off low-flying aircraft, will pollute our night skies, ruining our beautiful vistas with these giant eyesores.”
Wywindhere has billboards promoting their beliefs throughout Laramie.
In response to concerns over red lights, ConnectGen has promised to work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish aircraft detection lighting systems (ADLS) to mitigate the amount of light produced by the turbines.
ADLS allows lights to only turn on when an approaching aircraft is within a certain distance from the turbines.
Project Manager Amanda Macdonald told Albany County Commissioners that although the FAA has the final jurisdiction, ConnectGen is confident that they will be able to secure a permit to use ADLS.
ConnectGen hopes to work with electric utility PacifiCorp (Rocky Mountain Power) to sell wind power produced. The first part of the project is expected to be completed by 2023.
