Iberdrola Seeks Special Use Permits For Second Phase Of Dry Lake Wind Farm

    A request for special use permits for the second phase of the Dry Lake Wind Farm will go before the Navajo County Planning and Zoning Commission at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 18, in the board of supervisors chambers at the county complex in Holbrook.
   The permit request is for both meteorological testing towers and wind turbines. The planning and zoning commission is charged with making a recommendation to the board of supervisors on whether the permits should be approved.
   According to Iberdrola Communications Manager Paul Copleman, the company hopes to start construction on the second phase by June. If all goes well, the additions should be operational by February 2011.
   The first phase of the project included 30 turbines, and according to Copleman, the second phase would be similar in size with regard to the amount of energy produced, although more turbines could be used to produce the same amount of electricity. He noted that the exact type of turbine has not yet been selected.
   “There are several options we’re still considering, but it will range from 31 to 43 turbines,” Copleman explained in a previous interview.
   The number of turbines will depend on the specific model selected, which may or may not be the same type as those already built. The second phase is expected to produce up to 65 megawatts of energy.
   It will encompass roughly 10,000 acres, and be located about three miles east of the existing wind farm. Like the preceding phase, the new set of turbines will only have a small construction footprint, leaving the land open for continued grazing and ranching activities.
   “The footprint is small compared to the total number of acres,” Copleman remarked.
   Unlike the first phase, the second will not include any federal land. According to Copleman, the land to be used is comprised of roughly one-half private and one-half state land.
   Iberdrola filed for the county permits in December and for a state right-of-way permit last fall.
   Construction jobs associated with the construction of the second phase are expected to be similar to the first. Copleman pointed out that during earlier construction, temporary jobs peaked at about 200. He estimates that about five permanent jobs will also be created as a result of the project.
   “For us, we’re excited to continue doing business in Arizona,” he said. “We feel like Dry Lake I has been a real success, both in its significance as the first of its kind in the state, the economic benefits and in how it’s running so far.”
   Dry Lake Wind Farm is located about 18 miles south of Holbrook on State Route 377. In addition to the 30 turbines, a maintenance and operations building has also been constructed on the site.