March 8, 2023 |
Photo – H Frame Transmission Lines – Courtesy Google Photos
During two public hearings Tuesday, the Carbon County Commissioners approved a pair of special use permits for separate transmission lines from the Rock Creek Wind Project.
The 590-Megawatt Rock Creek green energy installation is located on mostly private land, 25 miles north of Laramie. The company behind it, Chicago-based Invenergy, also built the Ekola Flats and TB Flats wind projects. The Rock Creek green power plant would consist of two separate installations, Rock Creek I and Rock Creek II. Although geographically contiguous, one will connect to the Foote Creek Substation, about five miles away, while the other will send power to the Aeolus Substation across a 40-mile overhead transmission line.
County Planning Director Sarah Brugger opened the discussion for Case #2023-01, The Rock Creek 1 Transmission line project.
Only a small portion of the Rock Creek project, which involves 106 turbines and interconnecting transmission lines, is in Carbon County. The board of commissioners already approved permitting for the portion of the project within its jurisdiction. Invenergy also secured special use permitting from Albany County along with industrial siting permits from the state.
The line will be co-located, with existing transmission lines, for two miles of its eight-mile run. The connecting infrastructure also includes more than five dozen H-frame power poles, traditional overhead power line towers, two of which will be at the county’s maximum allowable tower height.
The specifications in the county’s conditional use permit set a maximum tower height of 180-feet. Taller structures will allow the overall footprint to be reduced in the wet land area the power line will cross. Existing access roads will be used, and no new roads will be built.
Brugger said no negative comments were received during the public comment period, noting that the Wyoming Game and Fish stated the project is outside any core sage grouse areas and crucial winter ranges.
Chase Marston, Invenergy’s project manager, told commissioners that the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council already approved the Rock Creek 1 transmission line as part of the larger project. Marston also described his company’s background in developing and maintaining transmission lines.
Throughout the permitting process, Invenergy has targeted the end of 2024 for the commercial operation start date for Rock Creek 1. Marston said some of the construction on the transmission line could begin this year, but most of the line and towers would be built next year.
The Project Manager said once Rock Creek 1 is up and running, it will be sold to PacifiCorps.
Commissioner John Johnson said the board has learned valuable lessons from dealing with other wind energy projects over the past decade. Several of the conditions required for permit approval are hinged to county revenues that have failed to materialize from past projects. Johnson listed some of the conditions, which he said are “near and dear to our hearts.”
Marston agreed to the conditions and said Invenergy did not want to make any missteps that would result in additional conditions for future wind energy developers.
With everyone in agreement, the board approved the conditional use permit for the eight-mile transmission line and 66 towers from Rock Creek 1 to the Foot Creek Substation.
The commissioners also approved a second special use permit for 23.5 miles of transmission line associated with the Rock Creek II energy plant. The Rock Creek II transmission line is 38 miles long. Over half the run is in Carbon County, from the Albany County line to the Aeolus Substation.
The 215 H-frame power line structures, along the 23.5-mile Rock Creek 2 line, will range in height between 60 and 115 feet. Brugger said the project is located entirely within an established BLM energy corridor where other wind energy projects have already been built.
As with the special use permit for Rock Creek 1, the Carbon County Commissioners unanimously approved the special use permit for the Rock Creek II transmission line.
