Attorneys representing Union Neighbors United filed a notice with the Ohio Power Siting Board on April 28, declaring the group's intent to oppose siting of Buckeye Wind farm project in Champaign County.
The notice, naming township residents Robert and Diane McConnell and Julia Johnson as the representatives of UNU, states that attorneys Christopher Walker and Jack Van Kley intend to file memoranda against Everpower's motion for waiver and request for protective order for a section of the application to be kept confidential due to "trade secrets" related to financial information.
Everpower filed the 1,450-page application with the OPSB on April 24, becoming the first commercial wind developer in Ohio to submit a proposal for consideration. Attorneys Howard Petricoff and Michael Settineri, with the Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease law firm in Columbus, the same day filed motions to keep parts of the 26-page "Exhibit R" from public view. Exhibit R is a "socioeconomic report" prepared by Saratoga Associates for Everpower, with projections about the economic impact of construction and operation as well as the potential tax revenue from the facility.
"The information which is requested to be treated as confidential consists primarily of figures representing estimated capital, intangible, operation and maintenance costs, the estimated budget for the proposed facility, original construction investment and estimated lease payment as well as estimated spinoffs in output, estimated induced output, multipliers, estimated output in dollars, estimate gross annual revenues, earnings of Parts/Logistics Staff, and wages that could be used to deduce confidential and sensitive information," the motion for protective order states. "Buckeye believes that public disclosure of this confidential and sensitive information will have a deleterious effect on competition.
Petricoff and Settineri also filed a motion to waive several requirements set forth by the Ohio Administrative Code related to the application.
"These waivers are necessary given the unique nature of a wind generation facility and the extensive development work that is required prior to operating such a facility," the motion states. "For example, where a typical coal-fired generation facility may be located on 50 to 60 acres of land, the wind generation facility proposed by Buckeye Wind will be located across six townships in Champaign County. Therefore, a waiver is being sought to provide certain maps of 1:12,000 scale rather than 1:4,800 scale. As well, a waiver is being sought from the site alternative analysis requirement given the unique siting process for wind generation facilities.... It is simply not practicable to procure land contracts, perform environmental and engineering studies, enter into (and progress through) multiple interconnection permit processes, and conduct community outreach and education campaigns for additional project alternatives."
The application and all documentation related to the project, including letters from local opponents and supporters, is available for download in PDF format at http://dis.puc.state.oh.us/CaseRecord.aspx?CaseNo=08-0666.
According to the project summary, Buckeye Wind LLC will construct a wind-powered electric generation facility on 9,000 acres of leased private land in Champaign County, which will connect to an electric substation in Union Township on Pisgah Road near state Route 56. The proposal for the "facility" includes plans for 70 turbines and towers, along with access roads, electrical interconnects, construction staging areas, an operation and maintenance facility and the substation.
The certificate application was prepared for Everpower by Environmental Design and Research, Landscape Architecture, Planning, Environmental Services, Engineering and Surveying (EDR) of Syracuse, N.Y. According to the application, EDR has more than 10 years of experience with developing siting and permitting plans for commercial-scale wind turbine installations in other states. Other studies included in the application include geologic, wetland and surface water analyses, bird and bat population counts and migration data, noise and visibility projections, a review of potential interference with analog television signals and cellular telephone service, and distance to and impact on local landmarks, such as parks, golf courses, archeological sites and cemeteries.
According to the project summary, each turbine will have a capacity rating of 1.8 megawatts to 2.5 megawatts, which will result in a total generating capacity of between 126 and 175MW, generating between 331,000 and 460,000 megawatt-hours of electricity annually. The application includes detailed information on Nordex-model turbines, including complete manufacturing specifications and safety manuals.
Leases to landowners will be based on a percentage of gross revenues, and are initially expected to total "approximately $1.5-2 million per year," according to the project summary. The application also includes plans to compensate landowners for taking cropland out of production during the construction cycle, as well as a section dealing with required improvements and upgrades to state routes and county roads, as well as private farm lanes, which would be paid by Everpower.
The turbine bases, substation and other structures that are a part of the Buckeye Wind facility will "result in the cumulative conversion of approximately 72 acres of land from current use to built facilities (.8 percent of the 9,000 acres of leased land)," the project summary states.
Everpower representatives have said they anticipate OPSB will issue a certificate by the beginning of 2010, when construction can begin. Before the certificate is issued, a public hearing must be scheduled locally, which could be held as early as this fall.
Breanne Parcels can be reached at bparcels@urbanacitizen.com
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