Wyoming wind farm gets permit for 277 turbines

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming Industrial Siting Council has approved a permit to construct a 277-turbine wind farm on the border of Albany and Carbon counties.

The Laramie Boomerang reports that when the council approved the permit application last month, it also required developer BluEarth Renewables to meet a number of conditions, including that the developer has to provide preference for local hiring, The permittee also must provide bonding of $33.1 million for decommissioning and reclamation.

According to the project’s application, the wind project is expected to employ 400 workers during peak construction in 2022.

Construction is estimated to cost about $1 billion.

Canada-based BluEarth Renewables has said that it will take about 19 months to build the wind farm.

The Industrial Siting Council has agreed to pay $9.7 million to local governments to offset construction impacts.