Silence surrounds CSU wind farm plan

By Dan MacArthur
North Forty News

There's been little apparent action or urgency since Colorado State University with great hoopla announced plans for a wind farm on its sprawling Maxwell Ranch property.

The university in March 2007 proudly proclaimed that an array of towering turbines would harness the wind to power its entire Fort Collins campus, and that CSU would sell excess power to bring in some green to support the university.

At the same time the Green Power Program would provide a unique outdoor research laboratory for the university to further cultivate its self-described reputation as "a worldwide leader in developing and disseminating clean and renewable energy solutions."

Since then, it is becoming apparent that lots of work is stealthily taking place behind the scenes. And although the principal players won't show their hand, it's clear that some heavy lifting centers around achieving a balance between developing renewable energy while preserving the broad, unbroken vistas of northern Larimer County.

Of particular concern are views from the Soapstone Prairie Natural Area and Red Mountain Open Space. The combined Red Mountain area, purchased by Larimer County, and the Soapstone property, purchased by Fort Collins, encompass nearly 53 square miles. To date, Larimer County and its funding partners have spent $13.7 million while Fort Collins has spent more than $11 million on acquiring the properties. Both the city and county have voter-approved sales taxes to preserve open spaces.

Portions of the properties adjacent to the Wyoming border overlook the Maxwell Ranch where CSU proposes to build its wind turbines.

Big blades

Turbine sizes vary, but if similar to those produced by Vestas Wind Systems in Windsor the blades could be as much as 140 feet long mounted atop towers up to 260 feet tall. The entire structure could be almost 400 feet tall, or about the height of the First National Bank building in downtown Fort Collins.

"These would be very tall towers," acknowledged Larimer County Commissioner Kathay Rennels, whose ranch abuts the Maxwell property.

The electricity generated would be transported on a transmission line supported by H-frame timber poles paralleling a larger existing line, according to Bruce Morley, president and chief executive officer of Wind Holding LLC.

"The environmental impact is definitely a concern of ours," said Larimer County Open Lands Manager K-Lynn Cameron. "We have spent millions of dollars up there."

Morley said he shares those concerns and is committed to minimizing any visual or environmental impacts. The Wyoming-based company will lease the necessary ranch land from CSURF, the Colorado State University Research Foundation, for 25 years.

CSURF is a private not-for-profit corporation established to "aid and assist" the university, according to its web site. Its functions include land acquisition, development and management.

Wind Holding will be responsible for financing and constructing the wind farm. Construction was scheduled to begin two years after the announcement --in about six months--and to be completed in eight years.

'Almost invisible'

Morley pledged that the wind turbines would be "almost invisible" from the open spaces and said consultants are now further "tweaking" the prospective turbine sites to make them even less visible. He expressed confidence that most issues will be addressed before specific plans for the 17-square-mile ranch property are made public this month.

Cameron commended Wind Holding for already eliminating some of the more prominent turbines, but chided it for its failure to communicate sooner.

"We have not been included in these meetings with this land broker," she said. "We would like to see some better lines of communication."

"I'm trying to find out that information myself," said County Commissioner Randy Eubanks. "They are being quiet about this, and it gives me concern."

Eubanks said he has lots of questions and a public work session will be set at a future date.

But Wade Troxell, associate dean of the CSU College of Engineering and a Fort Collins City Council member, insisted that discussions have been ongoing.

Morley was unwilling to discuss specifics about the project, however, suggesting that many details are yet to be worked out.

The university was similarly tight lipped. "It's still in the planning stages," spokeswoman Emily Wilmsen said without elaboration. She responded in lieu of CSURF president and CEO Kathleen Henry, who Wilmsen said was not available.

Morley did characterize the wind farm as a relatively modest one. He declined to discuss the size of the project, saying only that "it's been scaled way back." The original proposal called for at least 25 turbines to generate up to 65 megawatts of power, with a maximum of 75 turbines generating 200 megawatts - enough to serve 70,000 people. CSU uses 16 megawatts at peak demand and would receive revenue from the sale of any excess power.

Troxell confirmed that the number of turbines has not yet been determined and that some sites were summarily eliminated because of their high visibility, environmental impacts or lack of accessibility.

"That knocks out a whole lot of them,' he said.

Big benefits

"It's not going to be on a large scale but will be a large-scale benefit to the county," Morley said.

The university in its announcement stated that it could earn $30 million as an exporter of green power during the 25-year life of the project.

And Larimer County, Morley said, would collect taxes on a $500 million project that creates few demands for services and attracts no new workers. "The project virtually operates itself," he said.

The Denver Post in March 2007 reported the cost at $100 million to $300 million. It stated that financing would be provided by a consortium of private-sector investors led by the New York branch of a $225 billion German bank. Morley would not further address financing.

"It really pays the rent for ranchers," he continued, noting that those neighboring or surrounded by the Maxwell Ranch also could place turbines on their property and participate in the project.

While the Green Power Project will generate excess power to sell, Troxell said it's important to remember that the facility is not primarily aimed at producing the maximum possible amount of electricity. "It's not simply a power project," he insisted.

Eubanks, however, said he remains unconvinced. "I believe the entire project is to be sold on the market by Wind Holding," he said.

But Troxell insisted that the wind farm foremost will be a one-of-a-kind, real-life laboratory for studying clean-energy technology.

"Maxwell Ranch will become an element in helping us understand all these things," Troxell said.

Extending to nearly the Wyoming border, the 11,000-acre ranch property was bequeathed to CSURF by Fred Maxwell in 1976 on the condition that it be used for research. Troxell said the proposal was reviewed by the state attorney general's office and determined to be consistent with the conditions of the gift.

He and Morley said there will be an extensive public involvement process when the project is ready for prime time this month.

County permit

That debut intentionally coincides with Larimer County's adoption of new regulations giving the county complete authority in the permitting of power plants, electric transmission lines and substations.

Principal planner Jill Bennett said the planning commission is scheduled to review those proposed regulations on Sept. 17. It then will make a recommendation to the county commissioners, who are expected to take up the matter in October.

The so-called 1041 regulations would give the county a strong hand when dealing with larger projects deemed to be of state interest. Currently such projects are subject only to review by the planning commission, which issues nonbinding recommendations regarding a project's compliance with the county master plan.

Bennett said the more powerful 1041 regulations will give the county the ability to take into consideration the number, height and visibility of the wind turbines. A formal permit must be issued before a project can proceed. While Bennett said the county could deny that permit, obstruction is not the intention. The motivation instead is to "be at the table when projects are developed," she said.

While Morley agreed that drafting and adopting the 1041 regulations have slowed the wind farm proposal, he said there's no hurry and it's worth the wait.

Bennett said the new permitting process is superior to the rezoning that otherwise would be required, particularly for properties such as the Maxwell Ranch--a complicated checkerboard of public and private ownership.

Morley said waiting for adoption of the 1041 powers also is the "only appropriate thing to do" given that this could be the first wind-power project to be permitted in the county. The delay, he added, has given consultants more time to complete environmental studies and analyze potential turbine sites.

When the new review process is in place, "the project will be in very good shape," Morley said.

The challenge, Cameron said, will be finding a way to resolve conflicts between open space and renewable energy to avoid pitting them against each other