The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently approved Boise, Idaho-headquartered Windland Inc.'s 200 MW Cotterel wind power project, which is located on 4,500 acres of BLM-managed public land.
Approval of the right-of-way grant clears the way for installation of up to 98 turbines on a ridge in south-central Idaho - located five miles east of Albion in Cassia County. The Cotterel grant also includes measures for lessening the effects of wind generation on wildlife resources, which will be monitored throughout the construction process, the company says.
"Cotterel Mountain is an exceptional wind resource, and its topography lends itself well for a wind energy project," says Roald Doskeland, Windland's president. "Completing this thorough four-year NEPA [National Environmental Policy Act] review is a major step toward bringing its energy online."
Doskeland adds that the four-year process serves as further evidence that energy policies, such as the production tax credit, need to be set for timeframes that allow companies the necessary time to work through government approvals - particularly when federal land is involved.
