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Work started on wind farm near Ely, but lawsuit looms
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Updated: Jun. 16, 2011 | 8:36 a.m.
Pattern Energy Group of San Francisco said Wednesday that it has started construction on its Spring Valley wind farm east of Ely.
Pattern has been grading the site and building roads, said Mike Garland, the company's chief executive officer. It will be six to nine months before Pattern begins putting up the project's 66 turbines.
Upon completion, Spring Valley will generate 150 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 45,000 homes. It will create 225 construction jobs and 13 full-time permanent positions once it opens. Pattern estimates that it will generate $20 million in tax revenue over 20 years. NV Energy has signed a 20-year contract to buy power from the site.
There's just one potential hitch: Three Native American tribes and the Western Watersheds Project and Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in January looking to stop the project. The groups claim the Bureau of Land Management, which owns the 8,565-acre site, fast-tracked the project without preparing an environmental impact statement. They argue Spring Valley could harm 1 million Brazilian free-tailed bats during their fall migration.
In March, the U.S. District Court for Nevada denied the parties' request for an injunction to stop construction. The case is now with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Garland declined to comment on the lawsuit. He did note Spring Valley will have radar technology that shuts down turbines when birds enter the area. He said the company has also donated money to preserve nearby sage-grouse habitat.
Advocates for the West, the Idaho conservation group that filed the lawsuit on behalf of the plaintiffs, didn't return a call seeking comment before press time.
If construction continues, Spring Valley should go live in a year.
Contact reporter Jennifer Robison at jrobison@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4512.
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I like solar and nuclear--I hate wind projects. They take up massive amounts of space, they are mechanical devices so they are breaking down often and they are only viable part time--at least solar is reliable almost half the time--nuclear--is 24/7, reliable and efficient. Takes up limited space (compare San Onofre with the Palms Springs area).
All flying creatures are impacted by wind turbines. And they disrupt the solitude of the desert, or a mountain skyline. They are intrusive.
@TimeRanger: sage grouse avoid habitat near tall objects as they have become accustomed to tall structures being associated with predator birds that roost. if it's in the line of site of a tall object - it's no longer sage grouse habitat
Time ranger~ When they blade and level the sage brush, where the grouse live, they no longer have that natural habitat. They either move or die, mostly die though.
@Rob - Sage grouse .... I am STILL trying to figure out how these will impact the grouse. The turbine blades will be rotating WAY above the normal elevations of the birds flight paths.
cool that the bats or some threatened weeds might dictate the u.s. energy "policy". a financial news program interview pointed out that it takes > 10 years to permit a u.s. airport. in the same time, the interviewee stated that china will have 70, new state of the art, airports up and running. i wonder if china has any threatened weeds, endangered fire ants, or migrating locusts.
@vegaslee
Yes, the bats have been intensively studied including using radar to track their movements in and out of the cave they use which is just a few miles from the proposed wind farm.
Also severely impacted are sage grouse, a species that is a candidate for protections under the Endangered Species Act.
Another wind farm boondoggle. I want to know what politicians brother-in-law, or whatever relation, or more than likely, a campaign contributor is in the wind turbine business?
Ever drive through Tehachapi Pass, or Altamonte Pass?Hundreds of wind turbines standing idle, regardless of the season or time of day. Maybe 5% are turning. In the middle of summer when the demand for power (air conditioning) is the greatest, these eyesores are standing idle.
BOONDOGGLE.
Hear we go again! Total disregard for public land, wildlife and destruction of property all in the name of energy. After conservation by ratepayers, stockholders of NV Energy wasnt getting fat enough so they got a rate increase and was approved again by the PSC who only is concerned about NV Energy. Why do we have a PSC when they only look out for the big giant? NV Energy and SNWA are runaway trains with no stopping or slowing them down. They are money hungry utility companies that prey on the working familys to support their stockholders and the elected officials that reign over them. SNWA wants to steal our groundwater and NV Energy wants to rape our wallets to feed there stockholders. When will the public finally get enough and stansup to these giant thieves? Maybe we need another corporate high rise to house all these fat cats!!!!!!!!!!!!
"They argue Spring Valley could harm 1 million Brazilian free-tailed bats during their fall migration." Did they do a study? Do they know this for a fact or are they just arguing this point? Are they going to pay for the costs related to delays and court costs if they are wrong? It is easy to guess at these things but how about providing facts before costing people and companies tons of money.