Albany County planning commission recommends approval for Heirloom Energy pilot project

The Albany County Planning Commission on March 12 voted to recommend the Board of County Commissioners approve a temporary conditional use permit for Heirloom Energy to test a novel wind-energy device on private land north of Rock River.

The recommendation, made after staff review and a public hearing, follows presentations from county planning staff and Heirloom Energy representatives about the project’s temporary nature, site access, and plans for wildlife and land reclamation.

Staff planner David Gertsch said the application addresses the required conditional-use findings and that the project’s temporary status and distance from occupied structures — nearly a mile — mitigate many nuisance concerns such as noise and air quality. He noted potential permitting requirements with the Wyoming Department of Transportation if the applicant uses a different access, and suggested the company work with Wyoming Game and Fish on wildlife impacts.

Neil Rickner, chief executive officer of Heirloom Energy, described the device as a “new kind of wind turbine” that operates on a rail system and can be shipped in containers rather than transported as oversize loads. Rickner said the company has funding including a $5 million grant from the Wyoming Energy Authority and a $1.25 million contract with the U.S. Air Force, and that the pilot will inform performance, cost and environmental effects.

Rickner said the pilot will not be grid-connected and that the company has committed to reclamation in its lease: within six months of the test period ending, any in-ground foundations will be removed to 18 inches below grade and the site restored with native grasses. He also said a meteorological tower has already been permitted for the location.

Commissioners asked about construction timing, height and duration. Gertsch and Heirloom representatives said construction would likely begin in summer, the structure height would be about 45 feet, and the company applied for a temporary two-year conditional use (the lease language described a three-year construct-and-operate period with an option to extend). Heirloom said the pilot unit will be on the order of a few hundred kilowatts, not the multi-megawatt scale the company may pursue later.

Wildlife and reclamation were central concerns during discussion. Heirloom acknowledged potential effects on birds, bats and raptors and said it will work with Wyoming Game and Fish and local researchers, and is prepared to deploy mitigation measures if monitoring shows harm. The company also said it will host visits with the local fire department and maintain on-site measures such as a diesel generator contained in a gravel laydown area with fire suppression equipment.

After a public hearing with no public speakers, Commissioner [name not specified in transcript] moved that the planning commission recommend approval of the Heirloom Energy Conditional Use Application (CU 125), adopting the staff analysis, findings of fact and conclusions of law as stated in the staff report; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously. The commission’s action is a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners, which must take the final decision.

The commission and applicant identified follow-up items, including the county’s notice that Wyoming Department of Transportation and county road-use agreements could be required for certain access routes, and that DEQ’s land-quality authorities could be invoked if derelict material remained after the pilot. Heirloom reiterated its lease and application commitments on reclamation and said it will coordinate monitoring and mitigation with Game and Fish and university researchers.

If the Board of County Commissioners adopts the planning commission’s recommendation, the conditional use would allow the temporary pilot under the terms reviewed by planning staff; final permitting or additional conditions could follow depending on BOCC action and any agency permitting requirements.

Less-critical details discussed but not required for decision included the company’s funding sources (venture capital and state grant), the possibility of adding the technology to existing wind farms in the future, and the company’s invitation to commissioners and university researchers to visit the Laramie-area facility and the test site.

Votes at a glance: the planning commission vote on the recommendation was recorded as unanimous in favor; the motion text and outcome are included in the actions array below.