Mesa and Alta Mesa Wind Project
Project Specifications
Client: Brookfield Power US Asset Management LLC
Location: Riverside County
Services: Environmental Review & Permitting, Biological Resources, Compliance & Environmental Construction Monitoring
The existing Mesa Wind Project is located entirely on approximately 450 acres of lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Riverside County. The project is located about 11 miles northwest of the City of Palm Springs, north of Interstate 10 and just west of the Whitewater River. The existing project was built in 1983-1984 and consists of 460 65kW Vestas V15 turbines with a mix of 85 and 140-foot towers, for a total of 30 MW of output. As of 2015, there are 129 operating turbines for a total of approximately 8 MW. The project developer is requesting a renewal of the BLM right-of-way grants that would include continued operations of the existing turbines and an eventual repower (replacement of most existing turbines with 10 to 15 much larger turbines).
Aspen is providing the developer with project development assistance and agency coordination. From 2012 to present, Aspen has worked with several project owners on aspects of the project including:
Coordination with the BLM including research into the existing land use designations for the area
Completing biological resources surveys and jurisdictional delineations
Drafting portions of potential NEPA documents
Preparation of a Fire Management Plan and biological assessment of recent fires; review of Fire Management Plan for existing operations
Drafting a revised Plan of Development