Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility

Project Specifications

Client: Imperial County

Location: Imperial County

Services: Environmental Review & Permitting, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Public Participation & Involvement

Ocotillo Express LLC submitted a plan of development to the BLM El Centro Field Office for the construction of a wind energy facility on a 15,000-acre site near Ocotillo and Coyote Wells. They also submitted an application to Imperial County for a zone change for one turbine not located on BLM-administered land. The original proposal included 155 wind turbines, collection lines, a substation, and a maintenance facility.

Aspen Environmental Group prepared the EIS/EIR for the project on behalf Imperial County and BLM. In addition to the proposed project, the EIS/EIR examined alternatives for smaller versions of the project that only included installation of 137 and 105 wind turbines. Extensive biological surveys were conducted to support the EIS/EIR, including avian surveys, eagle surveys, and focused surveys for flat-tailed horned lizard and barefoot banded gecko. The project site is located near habitat for the peninsular bighorn sheep, which includes a nearby documented lambing area. An ambitious cultural resources survey was conducted that included the entire 15,000-acre site plus a buffer area. The area was used extensively in the past by Native Americans and hundreds of cultural resource sites were recorded during the surveys. One of the primary Native American uses of the area was the collection and processing of agave as a seasonal food source.

The proposed project had substantial support in Imperial County as it was consistent with the region’s economic development goal to foster renewable energy development by taking advantage of the area’s solar, geothermal, and wind resources. However, it was very unpopular in the nearby community of Ocotillo, whose residents vigorously opposed the project. Residents were concerned about changes in desert views, noise from the wind turbines, nuisance impacts from project construction, and potential health effects of low-frequency sound and electric and magnetic fields. Environmental groups were concerned about the project’s effect on natural resources, including effects on sensitive species and the natural desert landscapes. The project’s visual impacts were a common concern due to its visibility from nearby communities, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, wilderness areas, and Interstate 8. All of these concerns were addressed in the EIS/EIR.

Several Native American tribes also opposed the project due to its location in an important cultural area. During the course of EIS/EIR preparation and Section 106 consultation, the BLM acknowledged the area’s importance to Native Americans and identified it as a Traditional Cultural Landscape.

In response to public concerns, the applicant voluntarily scaled back the project. The BLM issued a Record of Decision in 2012 approving a project with 112 wind turbines. Imperial County also approved the project.

The work of Aspen, BLM, and Imperial County on the Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility EIR/EIS was recognized by the Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP) in 2013 when the document received the award for Outstanding Environmental Analysis Document.