Application to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission for a Facility Permit

North Bend Wind Project Hyde and Hughes Counties, South Dakota

June 22, 2021

NORTH BEND WIND PROJECT, LLC

3760 State Street, Suite 200 Santa Barbara, CA 93105

Applicant: North Bend 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) ...... 1-3 1.4 Facility Permit Application Content and Organization ...... 1-3 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 4.2.2 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 Aircraft Detection Lighting System ...... 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 ...... 4-7 4.2.10 Interconnection Facilities and Switching Station ...... 4-7 4.3 Land Requirements ...... 4-7 4.3.1 Right-of-way or Condemnation Requirements (ARSD 20:10:22:33.02 and 20:10:22:35) ...... 4-8 4.4 Wind Farm Facility Construction, Restoration, Operation and Maintenance Procedures ...... 4-8 4.4.1 Mobilization and Site Preparation ...... 4-8 4.4.2 Roadwork ...... 4-9 4.4.3 Installation of Turbine Foundations ...... 4-9 4.4.4 Installation of Electrical Collector and Communication Systems ...... 4-10 4.4.5 Tower Deliveries and Erection ...... 4-10 4.4.6 Construction of Project Collection Substation ...... 4-10 4.4.7 Installation of Permanent Meteorological Tower ...... 4-10 4.4.8 Restoration Procedures ...... 4-11 4.4.9 Operation and Maintenance ...... 4-11

North Bend Wind Project iii Application for Facility Permit Table of Contents

4.4.10 Decommissioning ...... 4-11 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 7.1.2 Impacts to Geological Resources ...... 7-4 7.1.3 Mitigation Measures for Geological Resources ...... 7-5 7.2 Soil Resources...... 7-5 7.2.1 Existing Soil Resources ...... 7-5 7.2.2 Impacts to Soil Resources ...... 7-9 7.2.3 Mitigation Measures for Soil Resources ...... 7-9 8.0 EFFECT ON HYDROLOGY (ARSD 20:10:22:15) ...... 8-1 8.1 Groundwater Resources ...... 8-1 8.1.1 Existing Groundwater Resources ...... 8-1 8.1.2 Impacts to Groundwater Resources ...... 8-2 8.1.3 Mitigation Measures for Groundwater Resources ...... 8-3 8.2 Surface Water Resources ...... 8-3 8.2.1 Existing Surface Water Resources ...... 8-4 8.2.2 Impacts to Surface Water Resources ...... 8-6 8.2.3 Mitigation Measures for Surface Water Resources ...... 8-8 8.3 Water Uses and Rights ...... 8-8 8.3.1 Existing and Planned Water Uses and Rights ...... 8-8 8.3.2 Impacts on Current or Planned Water Uses ...... 8-9 8.3.3 Mitigation Measures for Existing and Planned Water Uses and Rights . 8-10 9.0 EFFECT ON TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS (ARSD 20:10:22:16) ...... 9-1 9.1 Vegetation ...... 9-1 9.1.1 Existing Terrestrial Ecosystem ...... 9-1 9.1.2 Impacts to Vegetation ...... 9-4 9.1.3 Mitigation Measures for Vegetation ...... 9-5 9.2 Wildlife ...... 9-5 9.2.1 Existing Wildlife ...... 9-5 9.2.2 Impacts to Wildlife ...... 9-17 9.2.3 Mitigation Measures for Wildlife ...... 9-21 10.0 EFFECT ON AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS (ARSD 20:10:22:17) ...... 10-1 10.1 Existing Aquatic Ecosystem ...... 10-1 10.1.1 Surface Water and Wetland Resources ...... 10-1 10.1.2 Federal and State Special Status Aquatic Species ...... 10-1

North Bend Wind Project iv Application for Facility Permit Table of Contents

10.2 Impacts to Aquatic Ecosystems ...... 10-2 10.2.1 Surface Water and Wetland Resources ...... 10-2 10.2.2 Federal and State Special Status Aquatic Species ...... 10-2 10.3 Mitigation Measures for Aquatic Ecosystems ...... 10-3 11.0 LAND USE (ARSD 20:10:22:18) ...... 11-1 11.1 Land Use and Ownership ...... 11-1 11.1.1 Existing Land Use and Ownership ...... 11-1 11.1.2 Land Use Impacts ...... 11-3 11.1.3 Mitigation Measures for Land Use ...... 11-3 11.2 Recreation, Public Facilities, and Conservation Easements ...... 11-4 11.2.1 Existing Recreation, Public Facilities, and Conservation Easements ..... 11-4 11.2.2 Impacts to Recreation, Public Facilities, and Conservation Easements .. 11-5 11.2.3 Mitigation Measures for Recreation, Public Facilities and Conservation Easements ...... 11-6 11.3 Acoustics ...... 11-7 11.3.1 Existing Acoustic Levels and Regulatory Framework ...... 11-7 11.3.2 Impacts from Acoustics ...... 11-9 11.3.3 Mitigation Measures for Acoustics ...... 11-11 11.4 Visual Resources...... 11-12 11.4.1 Existing Visual Resources ...... 11-12 11.4.2 Impacts to Visual Resources ...... 11-12 11.4.3 Mitigation Measures for Visual Resources ...... 11-13 11.5 Shadow Flicker ...... 11-13 11.5.1 Shadow Flicker Overview ...... 11-14 11.5.2 Shadow Flicker Impacts ...... 11-14 11.5.3 Mitigation Measures for Shadow Flicker ...... 11-16 11.6 Telecommunications ...... 11-17 11.6.1 Existing Telecommunications ...... 11-17 11.6.2 Telecommunication Impacts ...... 11-17 11.6.3 Mitigation Measures for Telecommunications ...... 11-17 11.7 Radar and Military Airspace Impacts ...... 11-18 11.7.1 Existing Radar and Military Airspace ...... 11-18 11.7.2 Impacts to Radar and Military Airspace ...... 11-18 11.7.3 Mitigation Measures for Radar and Military Airspace ...... 11-19 12.0 LOCAL LAND USE CONTROLS (ARSD 20:10:22:19) ...... 12-1 13.0 WATER QUALITY (ARSD 20:10:22:20) ...... 13-1 14.0 AIR QUALITY (ARSD 20:10:22:21) ...... 14-1 14.1 Existing Air Quality ...... 14-1 14.2 Air Quality Impacts ...... 14-1 14.3 Mitigation Measures for Air Quality ...... 14-1 15.0 TIME SCHEDULE (ARSD 20:10:22:22) ...... 15-1 16.0 COMMUNITY IMPACT (ARSD 20:10:22:23 and ARSD 20:10:22:24) ...... 16-1 16.1 Socioeconomic and Community Resources ...... 16-1 16.1.1 Existing Socioeconomic and Community Resources ...... 16-1

North Bend Wind Project v Application for Facility Permit Table of Contents

16.1.2 Socioeconomic and Community Resource Impacts ...... 16-2 16.1.3 Mitigation Measures for Socioeconomic and Community Impacts ...... 16-5 16.2 Commercial, Industrial and Agricultural Sectors ...... 16-5 16.2.1 Existing Commercial, Industrial and Agricultural Sectors ...... 16-5 16.2.2 Impacts to Commercial, Industrial and Agricultural Sectors ...... 16-5 16.2.3 Mitigation Measures for Commercial, Industrial and Agriculture Sectors 16-6 16.3 Community Facilities and Services ...... 16-6 16.3.1 Existing Community Facilities and Services ...... 16-6 16.3.2 Impacts to Communi