New Comstock Wind Energy Project

The BLM Carson City District-Sierra Front Field Office intends to prepare an EIS to analyze the impacts (direct, indirect, and cumulative) resulting from construction of Great Basin Wind’s New Comstock Wind Energy Project that would be located within Carson City, Storey, Washoe and Lyon Counties.

In 2008, Great Basin Wind, LLC, submitted a right-of-way application to construct and operate a commercial wind turbine facility that would include approximately 69 wind turbines with the potential of producing 192 megawatts of electricity. The turbine towers would be 210 ft. to 330 ft. tall supporting a nacelle and three blades 115 ft. to 170 ft. in length.

Turbine units would be connected to a proposed electric substation by approximately 20 miles of underground electrical distribution system. A proposed 120 kV overhead transmission line approximately 5 miles in length would connect the new substation to an existing substation operated by Sierra Pacific Power Co. located near U.S. Highway 50 east of Carson City.

A series of 15 ft. to 40 ft. wide access roads would be improved or constructed to facilitate site development. Other facilities would include several small outbuildings for storage of materials and temporary work areas and storage yards.

The BLM will work closely with interested parties to identify the best possible alternatives and management decisions that will take into account local, regional, and national needs and concerns.

Supplemental Information:

The EIS will address issues brought forth through scoping and will be evaluated by an interdisciplinary team of BLM and other agency specialists.  A range of alternatives and mitigating measures will be considered to evaluate and minimize environmental impacts and to assure that the proposed actions do not result in undue or unnecessary degradation of public lands.  

Federal, State, and local agencies and other individuals or organizations that may be interested in or affected by the BLM decision on the New Comstock Wind Energy Project are being urged to participate in the EIS process.  It is important that those interested in the proposed activities participate in the scoping and commenting processes of the EIS.

Revised EIS Schedule:

Initial Public Scoping           December 2008-January 2009
Supplemental Scoping        Fall 2009
Draft EIS (DEIS)                  Late 2010
Final EIS (FEIS)                   Early 2011
Record of Decision (ROD)    Mid-2011

September 2009 - EIS Project Update

As of September 2009, BLM still considers this project proposal by Great Basin Wind, LLC (GBW), to be in the scoping phase.  

GBW is in the process of revising their right-of-way application by altering the specific BLM-administered lands proposed to be used for the wind energy development and the number/location of specific wind turbine towers - this is being done primarily to address concerns raised by the public during early project scoping in late 2008-early 2009. 

This revised proposal (including a revised project map) will be presented to the public and cooperating agencies during fall 2009 (meeting sites/locations are yet to be determined).   

Project Links:

Federal Register Notice Announcing Notice of Intent to Prepare EIS (11/26/2008)

Project Informational Handout (December 2008)

Project Map (Initial Map for Scoping - December 2008)

News Release Annoucing Public Scoping Meeting on December 10, 2008

Potential Cooperating Agencies:

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
Federal Aviation Administration
Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California
State of Nevada (State Clearinghouse)
Nevada Public Utilities Commission
Carson City
Lyon County
Storey County
Washoe County

Contacts:

For further information and to have your name added to the New Comstock Wind Energy Project EIS mailing list, please contact Linda_Kelly@blm.gov at 775-885-6008, or alternate e-mail to newcomstockwind@blm.gov.