What is the Hatchet Ridge Wind Project?

The Hatchet Ridge Wind Project is a proposed wind power generation facility consisting of approximately 43 wind turbines on land owned by Sierra Pacific Industries and Fruit Growers, Inc.  The project is proposed by RES Americas, Inc.--through its wholly owned subsidiary Hatchet Ridge Wind, LLC and will generate approximately 102 megawatts of clean, renewable electricity.

The projects estimated cost is $500 million, providing significant economic benefits Shasta County and the local communities of Burney and Fall River Mills.

Why has Hatchet Ridge been selected for a clean, renewable wind energy farm?

Critical factors for a wind project include reliable wind, accessible land, and existing transmission lines.  Hatchet Ridge offers all of these benefits in addition to compatible land use. The California Energy Commission identified the area as a potential wind resource locale in a recent study.

When will the project be built?  How long will it operate?

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2009.  The expected life of the project is 25 years, but could continue in operation indefinitely.

Who would use the electricity?  Where would the electricity go?

Hatchet Ridge Wind will sell the electricity to an electric utility company under a long term contract.

The electricity generated by the Hatchet Ridge Wind Project would be delivered to utility customers via the existing transmission line on Hatchet Ridge as well as other electric transmission and distribution lines.

How is the electricity from the turbines fed to the existing transmission lines? Would new transmission lines be needed?

Electricity is gathered from each turbine and conveyed by a common underground cable to substations, where the voltage is then increased to the levels of existing transmission lines. A three-phase overhead line from each substation would then convey the electricity to the interconnect points of the existing transmission lines along steel or double wood poles, topped by anti-perching triangles and surge arrestor caps. There is an existing transmission line (230Kv) which will be used to transmit energy produced at the project to the customer.

How big are the towers and turbines?

Modern wind generation turbines are complex machines, each generating about 1.5 – 2.4 megawatts of electricity—enough to power approximately 800 homes at wind speeds as low as 8 miles per hour.  

Depending on the turbines available during construction, the turbine/tower combination may be as high as 420 feet.  Newer, larger turbines allow increased efficiency and slower blade movement helping to reduce possible impacts on raptors and other birds.

Turbines are designed to work independently, so if one fails, the others continue operating. Precise turbine locations will be determined by wind speed data, collected by meteorological towers.

What are the local economic benefits of the Hatchet Ridge Wind Project?

An economic impact study for the project was prepared by National Economic Analysts (NEA) to forecast the economic benefits to the area.  (NEA was recently purchased by national environmental and engineering company Entrix.) Click here to access the economic impact study.

Expected economic benefits include the creation of approximately 200 temporary jobs during the construction phase of the project and up to 10 permanent jobs.  The project is also expected to have indirect economic benefits such as additional job creation and increased spending in the local community.  

Impacts on property values, recreation and tourism, and community services were also analyzed in the study.  No adverse impacts are expected.  A literature review of property value impacts at operating wind farms was conducted and the majority of research on this issue suggests there is not a negative relationship between wind energy developments and property values.

What effect will the project have on tourism?  

This issue was addressed in the economic impact study prepared by Entrix. A literature review of tourism impacts at operating wind farms was conducted.  No negative impacts were identified, and in some cases, tourism opportunities have increased with the development of a wind farm.

What are the environmental benefits of wind energy?

Wind energy produces clean, renewable electricity without emitting pollutants into our air or creating hazardous wastes. Wind energy helps reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and, by diversifying our electricity fuel portfolio, helps insulate consumers against fuel price spikes.  Wind energy doesn’t require mining, helps preserve open space, and conserves water.

Wind is clean and plentiful.  Experts estimate that wind energy could produce more than 20 percent of our nation’s electricity supply by 2020.

What environmental impacts are expected from the Hatchet Ridge Wind Project?

HRW is committed to producing clean, renewable electricity in a responsible way.  The Intermountain area is known for its beauty and environmental stewardship—with active hunting and fishing, logging and biomass power plants.  The development of HRW is consistent with these values.

To that end, RES Americas is working with Shasta County and other local, state and federal entities to evaluate all potential environmental impacts including visual, noise, archaeological concerns and avian impacts.  These potential impacts were identified by local residents during Shasta County’s meeting in Burney on April 25, 2007.  An extensive Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is currently being prepared as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  It is expected that the studies will find relatively minimal impacts.

RES Americas will work with appropriate agencies, specialists and Native American tribes to ensure that possible impacts are addressed and appropriate mitigation measures are in place.  RES Americas encourages the use of an “adaptive management strategy” by which the company will adapt and improve monitoring and mitigation of emerging problems.

Will the project increase the potential for forest fires?

It is extremely unlikely that construction and operation of the project will result in fire.  The addition of personnel in the area could actually help spot a wildfire sooner.  Water may also be stored on site which could aid in any firefighting efforts.

What will the impact be on raptors and other bird species?

Impacts to birds and other wildlife are being evaluated in the EIR.  HRW has commissioned a $100,000 radar study to evaluate potential impacts to migrating birds. The results of this study will be incorporated into the Final EIR.  It is important to note that wind turbine technology has improved since early wind farms were developed in places such as the Altamont Pass (in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties outside of San Francisco).  The new designs have significantly reduced environmental impacts on bird species. Communication towers and human factors (house cats and glass windows, etc) are responsible for more bird deaths annually than the new generation of wind projects.

Will the project be visible to the general public?  

Because wind turbines must be located in open, windy areas, some of the turbines will be visible to the public. The project will be visible from locations which have a direct and unobstructed “line-of-sight” to the area, especially areas where significant tree clearing has occurred. These areas include Main Street in Burney, but tend to exclude residential areas in Burney.  Some residents in isolated areas near Highway 299 will see the project.

There are multiple existing communication towers installed at two separate compounds along Hatchet Mountain as well as two parallel high voltage transmission lines supported by steel structures; all are currently visible from portions of Burney and the surrounding area. The project will not be visible from designated scenic highways in Shasta County or from Burney Falls. Some turbines will have lighting, required by the Federal Aviation Administration on structures more than 200 feet tall.

What would be the impact of the project on site access and recreational activities? Will the area be closed to public use?

Landowners currently grant public access to this area for recreational uses.  The proposed development would not require any changes to this access and it is expected that existing uses of the land will continue with minimal interruption during construction.  

Fencing would be limited to the project substation and switching station (approximately 2 acres each for safety reasons).  Each wind turbine is mounted on a tubular steel tower with a locked door and would therefore not require fencing.  In addition, all electrical and communication cable will be either buried or strung on electrical poles and would also not require fencing.

How loud will the turbines be?

Modern wind turbines are surprisingly quiet. You can stand right underneath the blades and still hold a conversation without raising your voice. Moreover, wind farms are subject to strict planning conditions that monitor noise levels to ensure they never exceed prescribed levels.

The turbines make a noise similar to the swooshing noise like that of a kite or large bird flying.  In some areas this noise is hidden by the sound of the wind in nearby trees or other vegetation.  An operating modern wind farm at a distance of 750 to 1,000 feet is no louder than a kitchen refrigerator.

How will this project affect our electricity bills?

The cost of generating electricity from the project will be similar to the cost of generating electricity from a new natural-gas fired electric facility located in California.  Proximity to a utility scale wind energy project has no effect on the cost of electricity for customers within the same service area.  The affect on the electricity bills of local residents will be similar to other electricity customers.  According to studies by the California Wind Energy Association, electricity generated in California from wind energy reduces the demand for natural gas by 96 million cubic feet per day.  This in turn reduces the marginal price for natural gas for all consumers, with an estimated cost savings of $25 million annually.

Who is Hatchet Ridge Wind, LLC (HRW)?

Hatchet Ridge Wind, LLC is an affiliate of RES Americas, Inc. (“RES”) a privately-held company with US headquarters in Austin, TX.  RES Americas is a subsidiary of the Sir Robert McAlpine group of UK engineering and construction companies, with operations throughout North America, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Canada and Asia. The Hatchet Ridge Wind Project has local offices in Portland, OR.

Does RES Americas have other projects underway or planned?

RES Americas has 18 operational wind farms in the United States in diverse locations including Washington, California, Texas and Nebraska, with a total capacity of 2149 megawatts. Seven other projects, with a capacity of 1,023 megawatts, are under construction in Washington and Texas.  A list of RES Americas projects and other information about the company can be found at the company’s website, www.res-americas.com.