Nov 19 2010
Invenergy, a Chicago-based firm has filed an application for obtaining permits for construction of a $50 million, 24 MW Big Otter Wind Energy Project, with an area of 3500 acres, about 20 miles to the southeast of the Great Falls.
The project would be economically beneficial to the area to the tune of $18 million over a period of 20 years, in the form of construction contracts, property taxes and landowner royalties.
According to Mark Jacobson, a Company representative, the location with its high winds was appropriate for a wind farm. He stated that it was comparable to the company’s 135 MW Judith Gap Wind Farm established in Wheatland County. The Big Otter Project generated electricity would be conveyed to an accessible 100 KV transmission line. For future phases the company also had 40,000 acres in reserve showing the neighboring landowners’ support.
This wind project would facilitate around 100 jobs during peak construction time, and four wind technician posts would be available to operate the farm. The 400 feet turbines with tubular towers would be painted in shades of off white or gray. The company’s initial analysis reveals that this project would come under the national range of bird mortalities, which are 2.2 birds for every turbine per year.
The company has requested that the construction work should commence in 18 months and not the usual six months after the special use permit has been issued. They would start construction only after an agreement has been finalized for the sale of the power generated by this wind farm.
Invenergy with branches all over Canada, US, Poland and Scotland is dedicated to clean power technology, and innovative practices for obtaining electricity. So far the company has developed five natural gas and 19 wind energy projects, bringing the total amount of electricity generated to around 5000 MW, powering almost two million households.