Strauss Wind Energy Project
Project Specifications
Client: Santa Barbara County
Location: Santa Barbara County
Services: Environmental Review & Permitting, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Public Participation & Involvement
Strauss Wind, LLC, an affiliate of BayWa r.e. Wind, LLC, proposes to construct and operate a 102 megawatt (MW) wind energy project, the Strauss Wind Energy Project (SWEP), south of the City of Lompoc. The Project site is the location of the previously proposed Lompoc Wind Energy Project, which was approved by the County in 2009, but never constructed. Aspen prepared the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the LWEP and it was certified by the County in February 2009.
The Project's Wind Site is located on 2,970 acres, consisting of 11 properties, and the Project's transmission line corridor would be located on 11 properties, starting at the Wind Site and running east and northeast to the City of Lompoc. The major components of the project include:
30 wind turbine generators (WTGs) up to 492 feet tall;
a new 7.3-mile, 115-kilovolt (kV) transmission line to interconnect with the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) electric grid;
an approximate 1-acre substation;
an approximate 1.4-acre switchyard;
an approximate 0.4-acre operations and maintenance building;
widening of existing onsite roads and construction of new roads; and
reconductor (replacing wires and poles) for 0.8 miles along PG&E's existing Manville 115-kV power line from the proposed switchyard to PG&E's Cabrillo substation in the City of Lompoc; and upgrades to the Cabrillo substation.
The SWEP's facilities, including all wind turbine generators (WTGs), the power line, and most access roads would be located in the Inland Area of the County and subject to the Santa Barbara County Land Use and Development Code (LUDC). Some grading of access roads would extend into the Coastal Zone and be subject to the Coastal Zoning Ordinance.
Aspen prepared a Supplemental EIR for this project, including response to comments and a Mitigation Monitoring Reporting Program. Aspen also assisted in the public review process by attending the public review meeting for the Supplemental EIR and the board hearing for approval of the project.