Wind developer asks DEQ to complete report Two more industrial turbine projects proposed in Virginia
By Anne Adams • Staff Writer
MONTEREY- It's been several weeks since Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality halted its review of a wind energy facility planned in Highland County, but now the developer is pressing DEQ to move forward.
Highland New Wind Development applied last December to the State Corporation Commission to build and operate a 39-megawatt utility here. Its attorney, John Flora, submitted the new request last week, saying the SCC and DEQ should have adequate information to make a decision on that application. HNWD has submitted a few more documents, but not everything requested by the state.
In a letter to Michael Murphy, DEQ director of environmental enhancement, Flora asks DEQ to lift its suspension of the environmental review, and include a discussion of the positive benefits of wind energy in its report (see sidebar for details).
"One agency, and it probably should be DEQ, should represent the ââ¬Ëenviroment' as a whole and be an advocate for all renewable energy projects in Virginia, and particularly those that do not pollute the air or water, like the applicant's project," Flora states. "We request that DEQ include the positive environmental aspects of this project, along with the expressed concerns of the reviewing agencies, when it submits its report to the SCC."
As part of SCC's process, the DEQ coordinates all environmental reviews among various state agencies, including the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the Department of Historic Resources and the Department of Conservation and Recreation, among others.
These agencies had told DEQ they could not complete their reviews without more information on everything from bird and bat migration to whether the facility would have a negative impact on Laurel Fork.
Ken Schrad at SCC's division of information resources says what kind of report the DEQ provides his agency is entirely up to its officials. "I've never seen anyone ask for this sort of thing before," he said, "but there's no actual permit required (other than the SCC certificate). It's just the environmental review, and this is an issue the applicant has had with DEQ all along."
Schrad expects DEQ might file a response to the request, but since HNWD's letter was not in the form of a formal petition, nothing is requried from the SCC. The SCC, he said, has "no say over what the DEQ chooses to do. We rely on them and their environmental experts and seek their input and advice. We don't tell the DEQ what to file."
The DEQ, Schrad explained, can lay out whatever kind of information it considers its responsibility to report, in whatever form it chooses.
DEQ spokesperson Julia Kohl says state agencies are clear on their responsibilities, and can ask for further information on any application if they choose.
At this point, she said, DEQ is checking with the other agencies to see whether they feel they have enough information before DEQ decides whether to lift its suspension and complete its report. "There is an established procedure here. DEQ has the responsibility to facilitate environmental reviews (among the other agencies). Each agency has its own specialty, and we depend on these agencies to provide an opinion."
Kohl says she doesn't believe DEQ has heard back from any of the other departments yet.
As to whether DEQ would consider an advocacy position for renewable energy in Virginia as requested by HNWD, Kohl said, "Our job is to review for environmental impacts and make a recommendation."
Once other agencies decide whether enough information has been provided, DEQ will complete its report. At that point, the SCC will set dates for evidentiary hearings to be held in Richmond, where formal respondents in the case will give testimony under oath.
Companies eye plans statewide
Whatever state agencies agree to do in HNWD's case will be closely watched in coming months as two new proposals for industrial wind projects have surfaced in Virginia - one in Roanoke County and one in Patrick County - from different developers.
In response to Community Energy's preliminary discussions about developing a project, the Patrick County Board of Supervisors voted in mid-April to install an emergency ordinance since the county has no zoning laws. The ordinance prevents building structures taller than 100 feet in the county, and is only in effect for 60 days. The board hopes that will give it enough time to research the issue.
Community Energy was formerly in partnership with Highland New Wind Development four years ago, but pulled out of an arrangement long before HNWD applied for permits to build.
Just this week, it was announced that Iberdrola, the largest renewable energy operator in the world, has signed a deal to purchase Community Energy for $30 million. The Spain-based corporation also plans to set up a new wind facility in northern China.
Community Energy has 2,200 megawatts of wind power capacity in various stages of developement along the East Coast, according to Reuters reports.
Patrick County supervisors have scheduled an informational meeting on the proposal for Monday, May 15.
Meanwhile, Invenergy Wind LLC is working on preliminary studies to see whether a commercial wind plant would be feasible in Roanoke County. The Chicago-based developer is the same company working on the 200-megawatt facility in Greenbrier County, W.Va. In Roanoke County, the developer would be required to get a local special use permit. Though details on the proposal have been sketchy, Invenergy's application for a feastibility study with the PJM electric grid suggests the plan will be to generate about 80 megawatts, requiring more than 50 turbines - more than twice the size of HNWD's plan in Highland.
Schrad says no applications have been submitted to the SCC from these developers yet, but that the agency is aware of the preliminary studies taking place.
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