Updated by Staff

Chevron Global Power Co. reported on Monday that it has turned the key to start the company’s first commercial wind farm northeast of Evansville. It is also the first wind development for Natrona County.

“Chevron is pleased to incorporate this wind power facility into its power portfolio while at the same time creating a sustainable, commercial use for this industrial property,” company President Greg Vesey said in a news release.

The wind farm is situated on the 880-acre site formerly belonging to the Texaco Casper refinery. Signal Wind Energy, LLC is general contractor on the project, which incorporates 11 1.5 megawatt GE wind turbines,said to produce enough power to supply 4,400 average size homes. The property also has a power collection system and substation that will tie into existing high power transmission lines.

The process of getting the project to this point has not been totally smooth. For one thing, although the site had long since stopped processing petroleum products, it still had to be reused for commercial purposes.

“Since 2006, we worked to develop a project that not only found a best use for the property but would also benefit the community. The idea emerged for a small-scale, commercial wind project that would bring new life to an idle site,” Vesey said.

The county commission approved regulations for commercial wind farms in the third quarter of last year, but the regs included some inconsistencies that required revsion. The commission did grant permits for the site last February. A judge dismissed a petition in June filed by some landowners in the area, saying at the time that the petition was filed too late.

The Houston-based Chevron Global Power and general contractor Signal Wind Energy LLC began construction in June, and completed the project in six months with no safety-related incidents or injuries.

“Chevron has a long history in Wyoming and we look forward to being a part of the local community as we operate the first wind farm in Natrona County,” wind farm operations manager Chris Buchholz said in the news release. “As a Casper native, I believe this new development will be a great addition to the county by generating renewable energy and expanding the local tax base, which can increase the funds available for schools, roads and other public needs.”