The U.S. Department of the Interior has issued its final
approval for Iberdrola Renewables’ Tule Wind Power Project.
This is the approval for the portion of the project on
federal lands, making it the first approval of five California “priority” wind
energy projects proposed for public lands.
“We applaud the effort by the Department of the Interior,
which worked closely with the State of California to effectively execute the
environmental review process for Tule Wind and other priority projects to bring
jobs and revenue to these communities,” said
Harley McDonald, business developer for Iberdrola Renewables.
The Tule Wind Power Project, a 200 MW wind energy
facility, is proposed for the McCain Valley in Eastern San Diego County. The
federal lands portion of the project approved by the Department of Interior
will generate up to 186 MW.
The power project will produce clean energy for
approximately 60,000 San Diego-area homes, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
approximately 230,000 tons and reduce water use by 149 million gallons per year
by displacing gas-fired generation.
Iberdrola Renewables has worked with the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service and species-specific biological experts to identify the risk
to sensitive and endangered species near the project area and develop a comprehensive
Avian & Bat Protection Plan for the project.
Iberdrola Renewables conducted avian point counts,
conducted telemetry studies on golden eagles and nesting surveys in compliance
with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and
Game.
The Tule Wind Power Project Environmental Impact
Statement/Report was performed in accordance with guidelines set forth by the
National Environmental Policy Act and California Environmental Quality Act.
Tule Wind will add to the region’s economy by
providing $3.5 million per year in property tax revenue to the County of San
Diego, $1 million in annual payments to landowners and tribes and $1 million
over 30 years in campground improvements and maintenance in McCain Valley.
The project will need additional approvals from the
California Public Utilities Commission, Bureau of Indian Affairs, California
State Lands Commission and County of San Diego.
By Greetechlead.com Team
editor@greentechlead.com