Maiden Wind Farm, Final NEPA/SEPA Environmental Impact Statement

Technical Report · Fri Jan 03 00:00:00 EST 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/823245· OSTI ID:823245

BPA's proposed action is the execution of power purchase and construction and generation interconnection agreements to acquire and transmit up to 50 aMW (up to about 200 MW) of output from the proposed Maiden Wind Farm, which would be developed to generate up to 494 MW. Benton and Yakima Counties' proposed action is to grant Conditional Use Permits (CUPs) and other required permits for full build-out of the project, which would require construction of up to 549 wind turbines for a 494-MW project. The EIS evaluates two alternatives--the Proposed Action (which means that part or all of the proposed project would be built) and No Action. BPA would not purchase or transmit power from the project under the No Action Alternative and it is therefore likely that the project would not be constructed. Washington Winds Inc. proposes to construct and operate up to 494 megawatts (MW) of wind generation on privately- and publicly-owned property in Benton and Yakima Counties, Washington. This EIS evaluates the environmental effects of BPA's Proposed Action to execute power purchase and interconnection agreements for the purpose of acquiring up to 50 average megawatts (aMW) (up to about 200 MW) of the project developer's proposed Maiden Wind Farm. The project developer has requested a CUP for up to 494 MW. Although the full 494 MW of power may or may not be constructed, this EIS evaluates impacts from full buildout of the project. The project would be located about 10 miles northeast of Sunnyside in the Rattlesnake Hills and would occupy approximately 251 acres of land. Approximately 1,063 acres would be temporarily occupied during construction by facilities such as staging areas, equipment laydown areas, and rock quarries. Except for portions of two sections of land owned by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the project would be constructed on privately-owned farm and ranch land in Benton and Yakima Counties. The major facilities of the project include up to 549 wind turbines with small transformers at the base of each turbine tower, underground and overhead collector cables, access roads, up to two substations, up to three operation and maintenance buildings, a potential 4-mile 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line, and up to four meteorological towers (see Figure 2.1-2 in the Draft EIS). Construction of the project could begin in early 2003, with at least partial power generation expected as early as December 2003. Construction of the full project would take about nine months.

• Research Organization: U.S. Department of Energy, Bonneville Power Administration (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US)
• OSTI ID: 823245
• Report Number(s): DOE/EIS-0333; TRN: US200417%%183
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: 3 Jan 2003
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

17 WIND ENERGY
24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
CABLES
CONSTRUCTION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS
FARMS
MAINTENANCE
POWER GENERATION
POWER TRANSMISSION LINES
TRANSFORMERS
TURBINES
WIND TURBINE ARRAYS
WIND TURBINES
EIS
BPA
WA
BENTON COUNTY
YAKIMA COUNTY
WIND FARM