LARAMIE - The third attempt was apparently the charm when it came to Albany County Commissioners finally approving a set of commercial wind energy regulations that will determine turbine noise level, decommissioning costs and site maintenance requirements.

After tabling the discussion twice before in recent months in order to give the County Planning Department more time to hear from the public, this past week the commissioners approved the wind energy regs after receiving input from landowners and wind companies.

Last year’s introductory version of the regulations set a maximum noise level of 50 decibels beyond 1,000 feet from a wind farm’s property line. However, spokespeople from the industry said that noise level would have taken many wind turbines off the market in Albany Count. They also spoke out against the need for a 1,000-foot buffer.

Instead, they suggested the adoption of a maximum noise level of 65 A-weighted decibels (dBA), which is between the level of a conversation (60 dBA) and a vacuum cleaner from 1 meter away (70 dBA), at the property line. The planning department eventually chose a sound level of 55 dBA and removed the 1,000-foot buffer zone.

“What we’ve included here is that we’ll measure noise at the property line,” Gertsch said. “However, there’ll be an exception if it borders federal land and if it borders private land and the private property owner wants to waive that.”

Another contentious requirement was that companies perform environmental impact studies for large wind farm projects, even if they had to perform similar studies for the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council.

Gertsch said the final draft of the regulations now grant an
exemption for companies that have to conduct environmental and
cultural resources impact studies for the siting council.

The final regulations also changed the maintenance requirements
from requiring that a company maintain the entire property to
only those areas disturbed by vehicles or workers.

“They would delineate the area that’s going to be disturbed,
which would include a minimum of their easements for the towers
and roads and buildings,” Gertsch said. “They don’t have to
worry about the entire property.”

Decommissioning, the process for removing a wind farm, will be
determined between the wind companies and property owners.

However, Gertsch said wind companies would have to let the
county know exactly how and when they would decommission their
turbines.

The last change to the regulations involves property values.
Gertsch said wind energy companies must address the concerns
from people who say a wind farm would lower their property
value.

After Gertsch finished his report, commissioners chairman Tim
Sullivan praised those responsible for creating a set of wind
energy regulations that county officials, landowners and wind
energy companies have accepted.

“I think that we’ve got a very workable regulation for wind
development for Albany County,” he said. “I think it’s got a
lot of common sense and I think the changes that were made were
on the money.”

Commissioner Pat Gabriel also expressed his gratitude to the
planning department, planning and zoning commission, the public
and the wind energy companies for playing a role in creating
the regulations.

Gabriel also said he was glad the county took its time and
listened to all sides before passing the wind energy
regulations.

“I think it was in the best interest of the county to take our
time and do it right,” he said. “We got a lot of really
valuable input from all of the people that were involved.”

Before being approved last Tuesday, the wind energy regulations
had been tabled twice — on Dec. 16 and on Feb. 3.

For more information, contact the planning department at
721-2568 or visit http://co.albany.wy.us.

Source: Laramie Boomerang