Searchlight Wind Farm enters public comment period

The BLM has opened the public comment period on the 300MW Duke Energy Searchlight Wind farm. The public finally gets their first look at what the wind farm might look like.

Oddly enough there are two different maps available that show the layout of the turbines. A separate map (13MB PDF) is on the public comment page (dated September 2008), but what appears to be an older map appears in the report (January 2008). The newer map indicates they’ll be using the area on the northeast, east and south of Searchlight (though it shouldn’t affect the Searchlight airport operations). There are 153 2.3MW Siemens wind turbines that will surround Searchlight on three sides. They are oriented in east/west and northwest/southeast alignments, with some ridge and hilltop placements.

Good luck to Duke Energy getting the project off the ground!