A renewable-energy consultancy, Natural Power, has been selected to provide Owner’s Engineering services during the resource assessment and project design stages of a 2.1 GW wind farm in southeastern Wyoming, being developed by Pathfinder Renewable Wind Energy (Pathfinder). Natural Power will provide technical guidance in the areas of wind resource assessment and project design…
Why develop wind in Wyoming
Wyoming is one of the top wind sites in the U.S., according to an NREL report “Wind Powering America.” The state is home to one of the oldest developed wind sites in the region, Medicine Bow online since 1982. Here, the Department of Energy funded research of wind energy production, particularly from large turbines. The…
Politicians pay attention to wind
There have been many developments in Wyoming’s wind legislation. Though not all bills have passed, they have created a conversation between wind-industry representatives and state officials, who know the economic potential of their state’s wind resource and so are paying attention. Their discussions center mostly around these topics: Taxes The Wyoming House of Representatives recently…
NREL study says wind could bring in big dough
Wind could do great things to boost Wyoming’s economy, according to a recent NREL study. Analysts there have examined the economic impact of wind development in the state, on behalf of the Wyoming infrastructure Authority. The study considered factors such as power line construction and the growth of natural gas power production used to back…
Manufacturers head to Cheyenne
Spain-based, wind-tower manufacturer Gestamp Renewables already has manufacturing facilities in Turkey and Brazil. But the company is looking to build their first North American facility, and sees Wyoming as the perfect spot. Gestamp has partnered with Ohio-based Worthington Industries, Inc. to create a joint venture, Gestamp Worthington Wind Steel, LLC. Together, they will produce towers…
On the path to another wind project
Developer Pathfinder Renewable Energy plans to build the largest wind energy program in southeast Wyoming. GE will supply 1,200 high-altitude turbines suitable for the state’s high plains where the thinner air doesn’t provide the kinetic energy of lower altitudes. The 100,000-acre project would sprawl over leased land on each side of Interstate 25 near Chugwater,…
Linking the West with wind
What good is producing wind energy if you can’t get it to people who will use it? Transmission lines are the critical link between generation facilities and the market place, and Wyoming’s got them. According to the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority, there are about 15,000 MW of new transmission capacity in development bringing power generated the…
Strong wind, weak policy in Wyoming
Land procurement and development for wind farms is no walk-in-the-park. Obstacles, such as zoning and lack of transmission right-of-ways, are hampering current projects, but even more troubling are new obstacles state legislatures and city councils are implementing, such as those recently voted into Wyoming’s laws. In that state, ranchers have a significant influence on local…