The NPDES permit, issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, indicates that the developer has effectively addressed the discharge of storm water from its construction activities. "The proposed site meets the department's environmental regulatory requirements," says Kenneth Bowman, Southwest regional director of DEP, in a statement. He says the permitting process involved "intensive review by DEP water quality experts to ensure that no adverse environmental impacts would result from construction of the wind farm."
The permit, plus the township's blessing, paves the way for phase one of the Highland project. It calls for construction of 20 wind turbines on 43 acres of a 4,371-acre former abandoned strip mine. Calls to EverPower were not returned by deadline.
According to its website, this phase is expected to yield 65 megawatts of electricity, and EverPower expects to begin construction in the first quarter of 2008. A second phase, for which no timeline is indicated, will yield 50 megawatts.
This October, Everpower obtained a $55-million financing commitment from Good Energies, an investor in the renewable energy industry and an affiliate of the privately owned Cofra Group, which has offices in London, New York, Toronto and Washington, DC. According to an EverPower statement, a portion of the proceeds will be used to secure turbines for projects in Pennsylvania and New York State.
Meanwhile, Gov. Ed Rendell has proposed an $850-million Energy Independence Fund to spur the development and deployment of alternative and renewable energy technologies in the commonwealth. "An economy powered by renewable energy and domestically produced power means more opportunities for our people, a more secure homeland and a stronger economy," he says in a statement.
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