County Is Seeking More Data On Proposed Energy Farms

By Tammy Gray-Searles
   Navajo County Planning and Zoning officials have assured citizens that they would obtain additional information on a series of proposed wind and solar energy farms between Holbrook and Snowflake. Although much of that information is still forthcoming, Planner II Bill Fraley provided an update on what the county is doing to inform the public and help commissioners and supervisors make a decision on whether to issue special use permits for the project.
   “We want to make sure there is fairness for everybody,” Fraley said. “We need to address all the issues so that everyone has enough and correct information to make a decision.”
   As promised, planning and zoning staff did attempt to learn the assessed value of the Dry Lake Wind Farm in order to compare it with property tax income estimates provided by NZ Legacy landowner Bob Worsley. An assessment has not yet been completed on the Dry Lake Wind Farm, however, since construction is not complete. Chief Deputy Assessor Darlene Fraley explained that the assessment is based on construction costs, and her office is awaiting documentation from the company on those costs.
   “The process will start when the construction costs are provided,” she remarked. “It’s formula driven based on construction costs.”
   Worsley had indicated that his proposed project could generate $3.6 million per year in property taxes if 300 megawatts are built.
   “The project will add significantly to Navajo County tax revenues and therefore benefit directly or indirectly every resident of the county,” Worsley said.
   Bill Fraley explained that county staff is also making arrangements to visit the Dry Lake Wind Farm to measure the noise produced by the wind turbines there.
   “They’ve been very forthcoming,” he said regarding Iberdrola officials who are responsible for construction of the Dry Lake Wind Farm. “They’re going to allow us to go out on the site and do some sound measurements.”
   Fraley noted that he has also been in contact with Iberdrola officials to find out exactly how many permanent employees there will be at the farm once construction is complete.
   Worsley noted that for his project, the number of permanent employees would depend on the type of technology used, but for most types there would be one employee for every 10 megawatts of power produced.
   The planning and zoning department is also reaching out to other cities and counties where wind farms have recently been developed to determine what, if any, problems were experienced and what type of restrictions were put in place to protect the public.
   “We want to see things like what type of setbacks were put in, things like that,” Fraley remarked.
   After gathering the information, planning and zoning staff hope to not only be able to answer more questions about the proposed wind and solar farms, but to put together a wind farm ordinance. Fraley noted that a number of companies have been scouting out potential wind farm sites in Navajo County, and he believes it would be in the county’s best interest to have an ordinance in place so that everyone has to follow the same rules.
   As for the special use permit requested by Worsley’s company, Fraley noted that there are several ways it could be accomplished, but as it stands, the request includes permission to both erect the meteorological towers and to construct wind and solar power generating turbines.
   “What they’re trying to do is speed up the process,” he said.
   According to Fraley, the permit could be split into two parts, such as one part for the testing towers and another for actual construction, or a number of conditions and restrictions could be added that would allow construction if certain conditions are met.
   “I don’t know what the next steps are and when,” Fraley said regarding potential issuance of the permit.
   He noted that his office is continuing to gather information, but is waiting for follow-up from NZ Legacy officials, such as whether they wish to make any changes to the permit application following the public hearings before moving it forward through the approval process.