Triple H Wind Project Hyde County, South Dakota Application to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission for a Facility Permit February 5, 2018 TRIPLE H WIND PROJECT, LLC 3760 State Street, Suite 200 Santa Barbara, CA 93105 This page intentionally left blank. Applicant: Triple H Wind Project, LLC Address: 3760 State Street, Suite 200 Santa Barbara, CA 93105 Authorized Representative: Casey Willis Signature: Phone: 805-569-6185 Email: [email protected] This page intentionally left blank. 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 .................................................................... 2-5 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) ................................................................................................................ 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 .................................................... 4-3 4.2.1.4 Generator Step-up Transformers............................................ 4-4 4.3 Meteorological Towers and SoDAR Unit......................................................... 4-4 4.4 Access Roads and Crane Paths ......................................................................... 4-4 4.5 Temporary Laydown/Staging Area/Temporary Concrete Batch Plant ............. 4-5 4.6 O&M Facility .................................................................................................... 4-5 4.7 Electrical Collector System ............................................................................... 4-5 4.8 Fiber Optic Communication System ................................................................. 4-6 4.9 Project Collection Substation ............................................................................ 4-6 4.10 Interconnection Facilities and Switching Station ............................................. 4-6 4.11 Land Requirements ........................................................................................... 4-7 4.11.1 Right-of-way or Condemnation Requirements (ARSD 20:10:22:33.02 and 20:10:22:35) ..................................................... 4-7 4.12 Wind Farm Facility Construction, Restoration, Operation and Maintenance Procedures ......................................................................................................... 4-8 4.12.1 Mobilization and Site Preparation .................................................... 4-8 4.12.2 Roadwork ......................................................................................... 4-8 4.12.3 Installation of Turbine Foundations ................................................. 4-9 4.12.4 Installation of Electrical Collector and Communication Systems .... 4-9 4.12.5 Tower Deliveries and Erection ....................................................... 4-10 4.12.6 Construction of O&M Facility ....................................................... 4-10 Triple H Wind Project i Application for Facility Permit Table of Contents 4.12.7 Construction of Project Collection Substation ............................... 4-10 4.12.8 Installation of Permanent Meteorological Towers ......................... 4-10 4.12.9 Restoration Procedures ................................................................... 4-10 4.12.10 Operation and Maintenance ............................................................ 4-11 4.12.11 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 7.1.1.1 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 ........................................................................... 7-6 7.2.2 Impacts to Soil Resources ................................................................ 7-7 7.2.3 Mitigation Measures for Soil Resources .......................................... 7-7 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 8.2.1.1 Waterbodies ........................................................................... 8-4 8.2.1.2 Watercourses .......................................................................... 8-4 8.2.1.3 Wetlands ................................................................................ 8-4 8.2.1.4 Floodplains ............................................................................. 8-5 8.2.1.5 National Park Service Nationwide Rivers Inventory ............. 8-5 8.2.1.6 Impaired Waters ..................................................................... 8-6 Triple H Wind Project ii Application for Facility Permit Table of Contents 8.2.2 Impacts to Surface Water Resources (ARSD 20:10:22:20) ............