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San Juan Mesa project to replace 120 turbines with 30 larger units; county flags disposal and tax questions
Summary
San Juan Mesa representatives told the Roosevelt County Commission they plan to replace 120 one-megawatt turbines with 30 larger 4.5 MW units; commissioners and a public commenter raised concerns about blade disposal, decommissioning impacts and tax/PILT treatment. No formal action was taken.
PORTALES, N.M. — Representatives of the San Juan Mesa Wind Project updated the Roosevelt County Commission on Feb. 4, saying the project will replace 120 existing 1-megawatt turbines with 30 larger 4.5-megawatt turbines and that existing tower bases cannot accommodate the new, longer blades.
Josh Framel, representing the San Juan Mesa Wind Project, said the developer provided a map showing new tower placement and confirmed that new blades would not be mounted on existing towers because “the bases of the existing towers are not sturdy enough for the larger turbines or longer blades.” He said the work will be done by contractors and that subcontractors will be held to the same standards as prime contractors.
The update prompted questions about decommissioning logistics. County commissioners and staff discussed potential impacts on water lines, wells, easements, utilities and culturally sensitive areas. A public commenter, Alan Carter, urged the county to adopt a land-use policy or ordinance to govern safe disposal of wind turbine blades and solar panels to protect air quality and prevent dumping hazards when energy farms are decommissioned.
Assessor Stevin Floyd asked whether the project’s tax treatment would extend an expiring payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILT) agreement or be centrally assessed by the state; Framel responded that the expiring PILT and any PILT for the new project are separate and that current-year taxes will be state assessed.
Commissioners did not take formal action on the project during the meeting; the item remained an informational update and was referred for ongoing committee review.
Why it matters: The scale-down from 120 to 30 towers represents a substantial change in local land use and infrastructure footprint, and commissioners and residents flagged long-term waste-management and local-revenue questions that could affect county oversight, permitting and future land-use policy.
What’s next: Commissioners indicated the San Juan Mesa update will continue to the project subcommittee; no vote or permit decision was made at the Feb. 4 meeting.
