Transmissioninterconnect into the existing ‘Durbin-Monterey’ 69kV line

● ● Residences

"He's got the best location, in the state of Virginia, as far as I'm concerned.” “Anytime you want to build anything, anyplace, you have a group of opponents, and they speak the loudest."

Jerry Rexrode Chairman

“For a wind-turbine facility, McBride's site is ideal. The land is clear, it's accessible, it's adjacent to an existing transmission corridor from Allegheny Power, and it's VERY WINDY.”

Robin Sullenberger

Member

Highland County Board of Supervisors

Economic Benefit• $120,000 Building Permit in 2008

• $175,000 to $225,000 in annual property tax revenues for 20 to 30 years (largest current Highland County taxpayer pays $33,000)

• Temporary Construction Jobs

• One or Two Permanent Jobs

• Increased Tourism

“There is so much demand to view the wind turbines that the county is creating a pull-off area and working with the project owner to create an informational kiosk. The wind project has become a destination spot for tourists visiting nearby ski resorts and parks.”

Robert Burns, Executive Director

Tucker County WV Development Authority

Environmental Benefit• Every MW of electricity produced from the wind

eliminates the need to burn fossil fuels• This wind farm will offset:

• 85,109 tons of CO2 per year• 448 tons of SO2 per year• 275 tons of NO2 per year• 537 equivalent barrels of oil per day

• It would require planting an additional 28,946 acres of trees to get the same benefits in carbon sequestration

Local/Highland County Permits

• Conditional Use Permit June 2005

• Erosion & Sediment Control Plan Submitted

• Storm water Management Plan Submitted • Final Site Plan & Building Permit Pending

State Permits

•SCC / DEQ CPCN received Dec. 20, 2007

• VDOT Land Use

(Entrance) Permits received April 2008

• VMRC / DEQ / USACE Joint Permit Application to directional drill Electric Line

Under Laurel Fork received 2006

Federal Permits

FAA Lighting and Obstruction permit

Environmental Impact

• Viewshed

• Endangered Species Act

From Monterey Mtn. looking West toward HNWD

Mt. Storm, WV , Phase 1, 82 turbines

Modern wind turbines are big.

View of Somerset, PA area turbines from highway

Eco-Economy by Lester R. Brown

Bats, Birds & Squirrels studied

• Phase One Avian Risk Assessment

• Nocturnal Visual and Radar Study

• Northern Flying Squirrel Survey

Construction Impact• No Forest Fragmentation - project in open meadow• Noise – Closest House is over ¾ of a mile away• Dust Control – Fugitive Dust minimization• Erosion & Sediment Control, Storm water

Management• Disposal of Solid Waste – no hazardous waste• 15.8 Acres disturbed for roads• 217 acres in project site, 4 acres used for

improvements

HNWD’s permitting timeline• May 1999 idea proposed to Highland County officials

• October 2004 file Highland County CUP application• April 21, 2005 Zoning Ordinance/Height restrictions amended• July 21, 2005 Highland County CUP issued• five suits filed against Highland County & naming HNWD• two cases appealed to Virginia Supreme Court• September 2005 SCC/DEQ pre-application meeting• November 2005 file SCC CPCN application -•March 13-14, 2006 lengthy local public comment hearings•October-November 2006 Evidentiary hearings at SCC•April 2007 Commissioners remand hearing back to examiner•July 15, 2007 Hearing on Remand

• Fall 2007 Virginia Supreme Court decisions, 7-0• December 20, 2007SCC approves project and issued CPCN• Spring 2008 VDOT ‘entrance permits’ approved