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Meridian Wind Project Hyde County, South Dakota Application to The Meridian Wind Project Hyde County, South Dakota Application to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission for a Facility Permit April 23, 2020 MERIDIAN WIND PROJECT, LLC 3760 State Street, Suite 200 Santa Barbara, CA 93105 Applicant: Meridian Wind Project, LLC Address: 3760 State Street, Suite 200 Santa Barbara, CA 93105 Authorized Representative: Casey Willis, Senior Advisor, Project Development Signature: Phone: 805-569-6185 Email: [email protected] Application for Facility Permit Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Project Overview .............................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 Names of Participants (Administrative Rules of South Dakota [ARSD] 20:10:22:06) ...................................................................................................... 1-2 1.3 Name of Owner and Manager (ARSD 20:10:22:07) ........................................ 1-2 1.4 Facility Permit Application Content and Organization .................................... 1-2 1.4.1 Completeness ChecK ........................................................................ 1-3 2.0 PURPOSE OF, AND DEMAND FOR, THE WIND ENERGY FACILITY (ARSD 20:10:22:08, 20:10:22:10) ............................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Renewable Power Demand ............................................................................... 2-1 2.1.1 National Energy Demand ................................................................. 2-2 2.1.2 Regional and State Energy Demand ................................................. 2-3 2.1.3 Local Benefits ................................................................................... 2-4 2.1.4 Consequences of Delay .................................................................... 2-4 3.0 ESTIMATED COST OF THE WIND ENERGY FACILITY (ARSD 20:10:22:09) ...... 3-1 3.1 Capital and Operational Costs .......................................................................... 3-1 4.0 GENERAL SITE AND PROJECT COMPONENT DESCRIPTION (ARSD 20:10:22:11, 20:10:22:33:02, 20:10:22:35) .......................................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Site Location and Overview.............................................................................. 4-1 4.2 Wind Farm Facility ........................................................................................... 4-1 4.2.1 Wind Turbines .................................................................................. 4-2 4.2.1.1 Wind Turbine Generators ...................................................... 4-2 4.2.1.2 Wind Turbine Towers ............................................................ 4-3 4.2.1.3 Wind Turbine Foundations .................................................... 4-4 4.2.1.4 Generator Step-up Transformers ............................................ 4-4 4.2.2 Meteorological Towers ..................................................................... 4-4 4.2.3 Access Roads and Crane Paths ......................................................... 4-4 4.2.4 Temporary Laydown/Staging Area/Temporary Concrete Batch Plant .................................................................................................. 4-5 4.2.5 O&M Facility ................................................................................... 4-5 4.2.6 ADLS ................................................................................................ 4-6 4.2.7 Electrical Collector System .............................................................. 4-6 4.2.8 Fiber Optic Communication System ................................................ 4-6 4.2.9 Project Collection Substation ........................................................... 4-6 4.3 Transmission Facilities ..................................................................................... 4-7 4.3.1 Configuration of Poles and Conductors ........................................... 4-7 4.3.2 Transmission Corridor ...................................................................... 4-7 4.3.3 Temporary Laydown/Staging Area .................................................. 4-7 4.3.4 Interconnection Facilities and Switching Station ............................. 4-8 4.4 Land Requirements ........................................................................................... 4-8 4.4.1 Right-of-way or Condemnation Requirements (ARSD 20:10:22:33.02 and 20:10:22:35) ..................................................... 4-9 4.5 Wind Farm Facility Construction, Restoration, Operation and Maintenance Procedures ......................................................................................................... 4-9 Meridian Wind Project iii Application for Facility Permit Table of Contents 4.5.1 Mobilization and Site Preparation .................................................... 4-9 4.5.2 Roadwork ......................................................................................... 4-9 4.5.3 Installation of Turbine Foundations ............................................... 4-10 4.5.4 Installation of Electrical Collector and Communication Systems .. 4-10 4.5.5 Tower Deliveries and Erection ....................................................... 4-11 4.5.6 Construction of Project Collection Substation ............................... 4-11 4.5.7 Installation of Permanent Meteorological Tower ........................... 4-11 4.5.8 Restoration Procedures ................................................................... 4-11 4.5.9 Operation and Maintenance ............................................................ 4-12 4.5.10 Decommissioning ........................................................................... 4-12 4.6 Transmission Facility Construction, Restoration, Operation and Maintenance Procedures ....................................................................................................... 4-13 4.6.1 Mobilization and Site Preparation .................................................. 4-13 4.6.2 Transmission Line Construction Procedures .................................. 4-13 4.6.3 Switchyard Construction Procedures ............................................. 4-14 4.6.4 Restoration Procedures ................................................................... 4-14 4.6.5 Operations and Maintenance .......................................................... 4-15 4.6.6 Transmission Line Decommissioning ............................................ 4-15 5.0 ALTERNATIVE SITES AND SITING CRITERIA (ARSD 20:10:22:12) .................... 5-1 5.1 Site Evaluation Process and Project Area Refinement ..................................... 5-1 5.1.1 Wind Resource ................................................................................. 5-1 5.1.2 Ready Access to Transmission Interconnection ............................... 5-2 5.1.3 Land Use and Environmental Compatibility .................................... 5-2 5.2 Site Configuration Alternatives ........................................................................ 5-2 5.3 Lack of Reliance on Eminent Domain Powers ................................................. 5-4 6.0 ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION (ARSD 20:10:22:13) ....................................... 6-1 7.0 EFFECT ON PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ARSD 20:10:22:14) ............................... 7-1 7.1 Geological Resources ........................................................................................ 7-1 7.1.1 Existing Geological Resources ......................................................... 7-1 7.1.1.1 Regional Landforms/Physiography ....................................... 7-1 7.1.1.2 Surficial Geology ................................................................... 7-2 7.1.1.3 Bedrock Geology ................................................................... 7-2 7.1.1.4 Mineral Resources/Economic Deposits ................................. 7-2 7.1.1.5 Seismic Risks ......................................................................... 7-3 7.1.1.6 Subsidence Potential .............................................................. 7-3 7.1.2 Impacts to Geological Resources ..................................................... 7-3 7.1.3 Mitigation Measures for Geological Resources ............................... 7-4 7.2 Soil Resources ................................................................................................... 7-4 7.2.1 Existing Soil Resources .................................................................... 7-4 7.2.1.1 Prime Farmland ...................................................................... 7-5 7.2.1.2 Drainage Class ....................................................................... 7-6 7.2.1.3 Erosion Potential .................................................................... 7-6 7.2.1.4 Steep Slopes ........................................................................... 7-7 7.2.2 Impacts to Soil Resources ................................................................ 7-7 7.2.3 Mitigation Measures for Soil Resources .......................................... 7-7 Meridian Wind Project iv Application for Facility Permit Table of Contents 8.0 EFFECT ON HYDROLOGY (ARSD 20:10:22:15) ....................................................... 8-1 8.1 Groundwater Resources ...................................................................................
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