Rock Creek Wind Project navigates obstacles; forges ahead as planned

As demand for renewable energy increases across the nation, Wyoming is becoming a valuable commodity for wind resources.

In addition to the Rail Tie Wind Project to the south-southeast of Laramie, which is expected to be operational by 2026, the Rock Creek Wind Project is planned to be completed in two separate phases, the first set with an in-service date of Dec. 31 and the second on Sept. 1, 2025.

The wind farm is to be located about 25 miles north of Laramie between Rock River and Interstate 80. The majority of the project is in Albany County, about 37,000 acres, with another dedicated 6,000 acres in Carbon County.

The two separate phases of the project, Rock Creek I and Rock Creek II will seem visibly contiguous, but Rock Creek I will interconnect with Rocky Mountain Power’s Foote Creek Substation near Arlington, and Rock Creek II interconnecting with Rocky Mountain Power’s Aeolus Substation northwest of Medicine Bow.

The total project will be a 590-megawatt wind power facility, with Rock Creek I consisting of 32 turbines and a generating capability of 190-megawatts. Rock Creek II will consist of 66 turbines and have a generating capability of 400-megawatts.

The Laramie Boomerang reported in October 2021 ”Permitting for Rock Creek Wind Energy Project moves ahead” that the project would require about 350 construction jobs, create 20-30 full-time positions, and generate an estimated $190 million in state and local tax revenue during the project’s estimated 25-year life span.

The wind farm is one of several renewable energy projects across the state that has garnered controversy and faced challenges. In addition to local pushback and complaints, Rock Creek has faced supply-chain issues that has altered its timeline along the way.

Permitting begins

The project was a proposal of Chicago-based company Invenergy with the permitting process beginning in the summer of 2021. In October of the same year, the Albany County Board of Commissioners declared the proposed wind project application complete.

A public hearing was later held in early December and focused largely on questions of land usage, where individuals shared both concerns as well as excitement for the project.

“We analyze these projects in isolation, but now we appear to have several projects going on at one time,” Kevin Kilty, a retired engineering professor, stated in a Dec. 9, 2021, Boomerang article ”County considers 129-turbine Rock Creek Wind Project”, and that “someone needs to take that into account.”

In the same article, landowner Steve Booth took a different tone. He shared that three other companies had approached his ranch seeking to develop wind energy projects, but he and his family had concerns regarding the respect the companies would show to their land and operation.

Invenergy, he said, felt different by stating, “We feel this will be a great benefit with minimal impact to our ranching operations.”

The following January, the Albany County Commissioners approved a wind energy conversion systems permit for the project in a unanimous vote. Almost a year later in March 2023, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a right-of-way for the Rock Creek Wind Gen-Tie transmission line.

Locals fight back

The Albany County Conservancy and its members have been vocal opponents of the project since early into the permitting process, citing concerns about wildlife, habitats, and historic, cultural, and land preservation both for Rock Creek and the overall cumulative impacts of similar projects that are rapidly developing in the region.

In July 2023, the Albany County Conservancy filed a complaint in U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming against the BLM for its decision to issue a right-of-way for the Rock Creek Wind Gen-Tie transmission line. Most notably, the petition for review of final agency action was for failing to seek public comment or provide public notification, according the organization’s July 2023 news release.

While the majority of the project is set to be on private land, the implementation of the transmission line on public land raised concerns, especially given the BLM found “no significant impact” of the line without public notification or input, according to the Albany County Conservancy news release.

“(The National Environmental Protection Act) says the public has a right to be involved with their public lands, and they need to be focused on wildlife, clean air, clean water,” Anne Brande, executive director of the Albany County Conservancy, said in an interview.

“Our mission is to preserve, protect and promote habitat history and wildlife in southeast Wyoming. So, we just want to make sure best practices are followed, and that good, constructive communication happens.”

Following the complaint, the BLM voluntarily withdrew approval before it moved to trial, and a public comment period was opened through January 2024. Still, Brande raised concerns that the initial studies conducted regarding impact on the land did not accurately address the complete picture.

Similarly, Brande cited several animals in the area that would be negatively impacted by the project, including mountain plover, black-footed ferret, greater sage-grouse and northern leopard frog. The impact to birds especially, specifically eagles, is one of the species of greatest concern.

“Golden eagles don’t do well with wind development, and they do not do well with transmission lines, and they are a protected species,” she said.

“When you look at Rock Creek Wind, there are about 60 (concrete) pads already poured that sit on Wheatland Reservoir III. So, that is our only national waterway in this high desert ecosystem, which gets to why it’s so habitat rich.”

In addition to nature and wildlife concerns, Brande stressed the importance of cultural sites and historic areas, from southeastern Wyoming to across the rest of the state and noted that citizens have a duty to protect these areas and land for generations to come.

“A lot of my members feel, ‘why is it OK to negatively impact cultural sites?’ If we don’t know where we came from, how do we know where we’re going? Do we have a right to negatively impact indigenous sites?” she asked.

Proponents forge ahead

In addition to local pushback, the wind farm also has experienced setbacks in receiving turbines due to supply-chain issues plaguing manufacturers. Nonetheless, the project is still set to receive 36 of its 66 turbines for phase II this year, though its original plan to have both phases complete by August 2024 has been delayed in turn.

“The project has faced some challenges from supply-chain problems that have been affecting the world economy in recent years. Still, the project is on track to meet its revised on-line dates,” David Eskelsen, spokesperson for PaciCorp wrote in an email to the Boomerang.

Rocky Mountain Power, a division of PacifiCorp, is set to own and operate the project once construction is finalized.

Despite the pushback, proponents have argued the location to be very favorable for a number of reasons. The majority of the project would be on private land, there are few residents in the area, and it will be built alongside existing wind farms to slightly lessen the visual impact.

“We would also note that several wind projects owned by PacifiCorp and other companies are located in the McFadden and Rock River region, due to the favorable wind resource in that area,” Eskelsen wrote.

Additionally, the Boomerang reported in January 2022 ”County Commission approves Rock Creek Wind Project” that the turbines had been moved away from Cooper Creek after the Industrial Siting Council recommended it do so to reduce impact to big game. Similarly, the same article states that four years’ worth of golden eagle movement surveys gave the developers greater indication of the birds’ patterns to lessen impact to the animals.

Moreover, Albany County and surrounding areas are expected to benefit from several economic benefits. In addition to job creation, Eskelsen spoke to the cumulative rewards projected to hit the area.

“Local economies benefit from sales tax revenues from the construction phase of these projects. Afterward, property taxes paid to the state by Rocky Mountain Power have continuing benefits for the states in which the projects are located,” he wrote.

“The output of wind projects benefits customers in Wyoming and the other states the company serves by providing a source of energy that has no fuel cost. Rocky Mountain Power’s development of Wyoming’s excellent wind resources has provided more than $85 million in direct benefits to Wyoming customers in the form of lower prices that they would have been otherwise.”