Wind farm, new county powers converge

LARIMER COUNTY – Colorado State University is aligning government approval of a unique wind farm project on its 9,000-acre Maxwell Ranch with Larimer County’s move to adopt special powers to better review such projects.

The two entities are looking to a likely change in the county’s land development review process as a way to make the process more predictable while giving the county more say over what gets built.

“It’s an authority to review public projects of certain types,´ said Jill Bennett, Larimer County planner, of the county’s consideration of so-called 1041 powers on Sept. 20. Bennett said the county’s existing review process for such projects is “really just advisory and could be overridden by the board of the (development) entity.”

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One of the projects covered under the proposed regulations is wind farms, and CSU is planning to erect up to 100 wind turbines on its Maxwell Ranch in north Larimer County to supply its electricity needs.

Bruce Morley, CEO of Wind Holding LLC, which has contracted with the Colorado State University Research Foundation to develop the wind farm, said the project has been gearing up to be the first to be considered under the new process.

“The 1041 process is pretty streamlined once you have all the preparatory work done,” he said. “Since it’s local, that’s tremendous because you can walk in and talk to the (county) engineers actually working on this.”

State interest key

Bennett said Larimer County has been looking for years at the possibility of adding 1041 powers – granted by the state – to its land-use code. But it’s been in the last few years that the county has seen more of a need to beef up its review of big energy-related projects.

“I think the alternative energy side, especially, is a side that we’re seeing a lot of interest in,” she said.

The powers allow local governments to designate certain activities to be of “state interest” and require developers to secure permits from the county. The powers apply to projects on both public and private land.

County commissioner approval of the 1041 powers is expected after the Larimer County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval in mid-September.

Other Colorado counties, including Boulder and Weld, have already adopted 1041 powers, Bennett said, and were consulted in developing Larimer County’s version.

Chris Gathman, Weld County planner, said the county adopted the process “about four years ago” in response to an anticipation of increasing requests to site large power projects within the county.

“One of the impetuses was we were getting some larger energy projects in the county, including the Calpine (power plant) project near Hudson,” he said.

Another huge power project – a 274-turbine wind farm built by BP Alternative Energy North America near the Pawnee Grasslands that became operational in January – also came through Weld’s 1041 process.

Gathman said adopting the powers has been good for the county and its residents. “We weren’t really able to address these as specifically as we could under the usual process,” he said. “It gives the county more specific ability to regulate the impacts of these projects.”

Gathman said the process has not produced any strong opposition from project developers. “I haven’t heard any real complaints,” he said. “These are large-scale projects that people have to do a lot of diligence on anyway, so I don’t think our requirements are onerous.”

Bennett said she believes 1041 will have the same result in Larimer County. “I think in general applicants and developers prefer something that is more upfront as to what’s going to be required,” she said.

First 1041 project unique

Bennett said the Maxwell Ranch wind farm is expected to be the first to be considered under 1041 because “it’s the one we’re aware of being very close to making an application.”

Morley said the project, sometimes called the CSU Green Power Project, is unique in many ways but mainly in its eventual ability to fully power a major university.

“It’s the first instance in the world where a major university is generating more electricity than it needs,” he said. Morley said discussions are under way with the University of Colorado, University of Denver, Regis University and Colorado College to buy some of the excess power produced by the Green Power Project.

“It will generate seven times more carbon-free kilowatt-hours in a year than the entire electrical use of Colorado State University,” he said. The $500 million project will also generate a hefty annual tax boost to Larimer County, Morley noted.

Bill Farland, CSU’s vice president of research, said the university endorses the new 1041 process. “We were pleased the county had gone and successfully laid out these 1041 powers,” he said. “(Wind Holding) wanted to get their ducks in a row and this 1041 process is doing that.”

Morley said he doesn’t believe going through the process will set back his construction schedule. “This is not an ordinary wind-power project, and we waited because it was the right thing to do,” he said.

Farland said the new process should help everyone involved move forward with more assurance. “I think the important thing was the county felt comfortable with a process in reviewing these types of applications, and it helps Wind Holding by helping know exactly what’s need to get a favorable result,” he said.