Oct. 2, 2012 – Following a public presentation, hearing and discussion on Oct. 2, the Carbon County Board of County Commissioners approved Power Company of Wyoming LLC’s application for a conditional use permit for the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project.

The permit approval aligned with the outcome from the Carbon County Planning & Zoning Commission, which had voted to recommend approval of the permit to the Carbon County Board of County Commissioners at a public meeting and hearing on Sept. 17.

The 2,000-3,000 megawatt CCSM Wind Energy Project is sited approximately 50% on private land and 50% on federal land within the boundaries of a ranch owned and operated by The Overland Trail Cattle Company LLC. The ranch is a 320,000-acre property located south of Sinclair and Rawlins.

The ranch lies within Carbon County’s “Ranching, Agriculture, Mining Zone,” where wind energy development is considered an appropriate conditionally permitted land use. Therefore, PCW filed a conditional use permit application with Carbon County in July, outlining how PCW’s development plans comply with statutory and regulatory requirements for wind energy as well as how the project meets the county’s conditional use permit criteria and land use plan goals. Ranching and agricultural operations across the ranch will continue without any material change.

Starting in 2008, the CCSM Wind Energy Project has been extensively analyzed in an Environmental Impact Statement, prepared by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Public scoping was held in August 2008, the Draft EIS was released in July 2011 and the Final EIS was released in July 2012, providing PCW and Carbon County with in-depth environmental data and analysis of the project.

PCW also will pursue the necessary permit from the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council to construct, operate and decommission the proposed wind project. PCW anticipates filing its permit application with the Industrial Siting Division in November.

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