ARCHIVES

ARCHIVES

Appeal of ‘wind farm’ denied

By Sam Womack/Staff Writer

A Lompoc couple’s attempt to impede an alternative energy project has been denied by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.

The board unanimously denied an appeal Sept. 22 that took issue with temporary meteorological towers that are part of a renewable wind-energy project southwest of Lompoc.

Supervisor Joni Gray, representing the 4th District, recused herself from the proceedings due to a personal relationship with the appellants.

In February, the wind farm was approved by the Board of Supervisors with a list of conditions, some of which were time sensitive.

However, a lawsuit filed by George and Cheryl Bedford against the county and its approval stalled the project, forcing the developer to request a time extension for four temporary meteorological towers.

The couple’s rural property is bordered on three sides by potential sites for the nearly 400-foot-tall wind turbines.

The appeal argued that the

time-extension approval, which also included reducing the num-ber of permanent meteorological towers from 10 to one, was significant enough to require an additional environmental study, a lengthy process.

The wind farm project by Pacific Renewable Energy Generation LLC, a subsidiary of Acciona Wind Energy USA, proposes to build 65 wind-driven turbines that could generate up to 97.5 megawatts, enough to power more than 40,000 households.

Once operating, it would also provide approximately $1 million annually to Santa Barbara County in tax revenues and give additional funds to the owners of the nearly 3,000 acres of leased agricultural land on which it would be built.

The Bedfords’ lawsuit against the county alleges that the environmental study on the project is inadequate under state law and that the project conflicts with Santa Barbara County land-use codes.

A court hearing has been scheduled for early December, according to county planning staff.

In the meantime, Acciona has been submitting compliance plans, a prerequisite to construction, to the county Planning and Development Department.

October 1, 2009