South Dakota PUC approves Deuel County wind project

The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has granted a construction permit for the Tatanka Ridge Wind Project, clearing the way for the Deuel County initiative.

Once completed, the initiative would generate up to 155 megawatts of energy near the towns of Toronto and Brandt. In October, the commission previously accepted a settlement agreement presented by Tatanka Ridge and PUC staff, with issues not addressed in the settlement, such as funding for decommissioning, risk associated with ice throw, cumulative sound impacts and the potential impacts to whooping cranes, were presented at an evidentiary hearing on Nov. 4.

The commission recently met to rule on those matters and deemed the project permit ready.

“I appreciate the work that staff and the applicant have done,” PUC Chairman Gary Hanson said. “The conditions both parties have brought us today, in conjunction with the settlement stipulation we previously approved, have cleared up most issues and resolved my concerns. I thank the parties for working together and accomplishing as much as they did.”

The scope of work calls for a 27,900-acre project area and include up to 56 wind turbines. Other components include access roads, above/underground electrical collector lines, communication systems, a collection substation, one permanent meteorological tower, a less than 0.5-mile long 345-kV gen-tie transmission line, and an operations and maintenance facility.