Moffat County approves Orsted MET tower conditional use at remote lease site

The Moffat County Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 12 approved a conditional-use application from Orsted (C-25-06) to install a single meteorological (MET) tower on a leased parcel roughly 37 miles northwest of Craig to collect wind data.

Candace Miller, planning and zoning coordinator, told the board the MET tower would remain from about six months up to a couple of years while wind data are collected to inform possible future wind project locations. Miller said the planning commission recommended approval and that planners received no written public opposition; several residents asked questions but did not oppose the project.

An Orsted representative, who spoke on the call, told commissioners the company expects to know by about the six-month point whether data would justify additional MET towers and further applications. Miller said site impacts would be minimal: no concrete foundations and limited, temporary disturbance that can be removed in days.

Commissioners opened the public hearing; no members of the public testified for or against the application during the hearing. A commissioner made a motion to approve the conditional-use permit for the MET tower; the motion carried on a voice vote with ayes recorded and no roll-call tally provided.

Planning staff identified the landowner for the parcel as George Raftopoulos and said the company may apply for additional locations depending on collected data. The board did not attach conditions beyond the standard reclamation and permitting requirements described by staff.