Reaching out to the Community
Residents near the wind farm continue to be very supportive of the project because it is adding many benefits to the community, explained the Dominion and BP Wind Energy representatives. For example, Fowler Ridge provides a new source of income for some 300 owners of the land where Phases I and II are situated, with minimal impact to existing farming operations.
Other positive results of the project include these:
-
Delivering a significant source of revenue for taxing bodies.
-
Employing more than 1,250 people during construction of the first two phases of the development.
-
Producing demand for local goods and services.
-
Creating 51 permanent jobs that involve monitoring and maintaining the wind farm as the phases become operational.
Wildlife Protection
Given that many species of birds and bats live in the area, special precautions are being taken to ensure that large numbers of wildlife are not harmed by the wind farm’s operation, the Dominion and BP Wind Energy representatives explained.
As part of the wind farm’s development process, relevant stakeholders such as wildlife agencies, community representatives, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are engaged. Preconstruction surveys are undertaken and are designed to identify sensitive resources within or near the project site to predict impacts on wildlife, minimize conflicts, and inform the facility personnel in charge of project design and the timing of construction when they are working near sensitive locations. Typically, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is engaged along with state wildlife agencies and the appropriate NGOs as part of the effort to collect information about possible effects on threatened, endangered, and sensitive species and migratory birds in the area, as well as other potential wildlife impacts.
As part of BP Wind Energy’s standard operating procedures, it is undertaking a range of pre- and post-construction avian- and bat-monitoring activities. In addition, the company will continue the monitoring for two years once each phase of the wind farm project moves into commercial operation.
3. A good harvest. With excellent wind resources, Indiana is an ideal location for wind farms. Courtesy: Dominion and BP Wind Energy
Future Developments
Currently under construction, Phase II of the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm will have a capacity of 200 MW. BP Wind Energy and Sempra Generation are joint owners of this phase. Dominion is evaluating the possibility of another phase, which would have a capacity of up to 150 MW. The output from Dominion’s 150-MW Phase III has yet to be contracted.
When all three phases of this project are completed, the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm will have a total capacity of 750 MW, which will make it one of the largest wind farms in the world. No doubt the economy in this part of Indiana will be getting a second wind from the additional energy, tax revenue, and jobs that the wind farm will generate.
—Angela Neville, JD, is POWER’s senior editor.
Email
Comments
Print
Reuse
