Salazar announces 2.5GW Chokecherry consultation plan

UNITED STATES: The final environmental impact statements for a planned 2.5GW wind farm in Wyoming have been published, US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced yesterday.

Following in July 2011, Salazar confirmed another major milestone for the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Farm with the release of its final environmental plans for public consultation.

The project will comprise 1,000 2.5MW turbines spread across 2,000 acres of a 320,000-acre ranch in Carbon County, Wyoming. It is being developed by Power Company of Wyoming, which expects the project to cost between $4 and $6 billion and construction to start in 2013 following federal, state and county approval.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is currently reviewing the project, and acting BLM director Mike Pool said: "Wyoming has incredible wind resources and this proposed wind energy project has potential to generate jobs and bring a record amount of clean power to market throughout the West. We look forward to hearing from the public as we work to ensure that this proposal, if approved, would be built in the right way and in the right place to minimise environmental impacts."