On Thursday, Dec. 18, the Mud Springs Wind Project broke ground in Bridger near the Big Horn County border. It is part of a project that would exceed the Glacier Wind Farm near Shelby.
It has four phases planned: the Pryor Cave Wind Project; the Mud Springs Wind Project; the Horse Thief Wind Project and the Bowler Flat Energy Hub. The project would have 120 wind turbines generating a total of 240 megawatts. “At this point it’s just vacant land,” said John Husar, noting he hopes construction will be completed in one year but worst case, would take until 2016. Husar is the owner of Mud Springs Development Inc, Billings, Developing Partner with EverPower Wind Holdings, Inc./Sunrise Wind Holdings. He conceived the project and said he is very excited about bringing it to Carbon County.
Although bigger projects such as Roscoe Flats Wind Project in Texas exist, he said this is the biggest in Montana. It will cost about $560 million, mostly for the Spanish made turbines. Husar “adamantly wishes” that a substantial amount of the construction cost will come from Montana labor and materials although he noted it will not be his decision. Husar said the land is leased from about 6-8 private landowners. He was careful not to site it in a viewshed (natural area viewed by many directions) and is voluntarily doing mitigation to protect sage grouse.
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Source: Carbon County News
Posted by Jami Howell
Interesting
David R. Bunting here, owner of 154 AC oil royalty land atop the hill NW of Frannie WY. Lately seems to be interest in my property, I suspect due to its potential for wind or solar power.