Have you ever seen a wind farm?  Don't they look cool?  That "coolness" factor takes a lot of work.

Federal, state and local governments have long governed siting and permitting of energy facilities in the United States. As the growth of wind energy farms continues to expand, siting authorities are recognizing that wind energy technologies and installation include features that are not always clearly defined in existing regulations.  The height, motion of a wind turbine, and the arrays in which they are arranged can result in new environmental and social impacts.  Whereas, this zero-emission technology often is exempt from regulatory oversight under many air quality rules, the effects of construction and operation of wind energy facilities require conformance with many other regulations.  As a result, various States have begun to develop siting guidelines, model ordinances, statutes, and checklists that address specific issues that are frequently raised in siting and permitting wind energy facilities.

For example, the access road engineering design and layout within the proposed wind farm is subject to many constraints and variables, some of which are:

1. To use existing graded roads as much as possible, and build new access roads only when necessary.

2. To understand and incorporate all constraints into the project design.  The most significant may be geotechnical, topographic and environmental.  Topographic could include steep changes in elevation and the presence of streams, natural barriers and drainage courses.  Environmental constraints can be significant but potentially mitigable.  These issues and more must be considered so that the road grading contract is not delayed.

3. To collaborate with the turbine manufacturer and with transportation experts on strategies to make the roads ascending the mountains as narrow as possible and turning radii as small as possible.

4. To further minimize grading costs by considering the cost of material removal.  Where grading can be accomplished with minimal export or import of material, and where grading can be accomplished with minimal transport of material from one part of the site to another. 

No project site is the same as another.  The constraints and challenges of each site may vary considerably.  It is critical that when seeking support to entitle and implement your wind farm energy project, the services be professional, reasonable, comprehensive and helpful.  To successfully implement a project requires that the project proponent overcome many challenges.  A.D.S. provides that roadmap, supports all phases of implementation, and has the knowledge and experience to identify and deal with issues before they become an unnecessary burden.  A.D.S. will provide the project management tools, entitlement processing, engineering plans, permit applications and construction services necessary to realize your project and budgetary goals. 

Please contact us today to further discuss how we can assist you in efficiently achieving your goals and objectives.