Public Utilities Commission Site Permit Amendment Application for a Large Wind Energy Conversion System Northern States Power Company Nobles County, Minnesota Docket No. IP-6646/WS-09-584 February 2021 414 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN 55401 Project Name: Nobles Wind Farm Repower Project Project Location: Nobles County Applicant: Northern States Power Company Authorized Representative Matt Langan, Principal Agent Signature: ____ ____________ Company: Northern States Power Company, dba Xcel Energy Address: 414 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401 Phone: 612.330.6954 Email: [email protected] Preparer of Application: Brie Anderson, Senior Project Manager Signature: __ _____________ Company: Merjent, Inc. Address: 1 Main Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55414 Phone: 612.924.3986 Email: [email protected] NOBLES WIND FARM REPOWER PROJECT APPLICATION FOR A SITE PERMIT AMENDMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 APPLICANT INFORMATION AND PROJECT BACKGROUND ................................. 1 1.1 Applicant Description ............................................................................................. 1 1.2 Project Background, Purpose, and Need ................................................................. 1 1.3 Xcel Energy Repower Context ............................................................................... 3 1.4 Issued Site Permit and Changes Requested ............................................................ 3 1.5 Description of Repowering Process ........................................................................ 5 1.6 Role of Applicant in Construction and Operation .................................................. 6 1.7 Ownership Statement .............................................................................................. 6 1.8 Compliance Status of Project .................................................................................. 6 1.9 Compliance with Project Complaints and Resolution ............................................ 6 1.10 Consideration of Existing Wind Farms ................................................................... 7 2.0 CERTIFICATE OF NEED ................................................................................................. 8 3.0 STATE POLICY ................................................................................................................. 9 4.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND OVERVIEW ............................................................... 10 4.1 Project Description and Location .......................................................................... 10 4.2 Size of the Project Area in Acres .......................................................................... 10 4.3 Rated Capacity ...................................................................................................... 11 4.4 Number of Turbine Sites ....................................................................................... 11 5.0 PROJECT DESIGN .......................................................................................................... 12 5.1 Description of Project Layout and Setback Requirements ................................... 12 5.1.1 Balance of Plant Reliability and Upgrades ............................................... 14 5.2 Description of Turbines and Towers..................................................................... 15 5.3 Turbine Foundations ............................................................................................. 17 5.4 Description of Electrical System .......................................................................... 18 6.0 DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION OF ASSOCIATED FACILITIES ........................... 19 6.1 Transmission and Project Substation .................................................................... 19 6.2 Collector Lines and Feeder lines ........................................................................... 19 6.3 Additional Associated Facilities ........................................................................... 19 6.3.1 O&M Facility ............................................................................................ 19 6.3.2 Permanent Meteorological Towers ........................................................... 20 6.3.3 Aircraft Detection Lighting System .......................................................... 20 6.4 Repowering Construction requirements ............................................................... 20 7.0 WIND RIGHTS ................................................................................................................ 21 7.1 Status of Wind Rights and Modifications ............................................................. 21 8.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS...................................................................................... 23 8.1 Demographics ....................................................................................................... 23 8.1.1 Impacts ...................................................................................................... 25 8.1.1 Mitigative Measures .................................................................................. 25 PAGE i NOBLES WIND FARM REPOWER PROJECT APPLICATION FOR A SITE PERMIT AMENDMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS 8.2 Land Use and Zoning ............................................................................................ 25 8.2.1 Local Zoning and Comprehensive Plans .................................................. 26 8.2.2 Current and Future Zoning........................................................................ 26 8.2.3 Impacts ...................................................................................................... 27 8.2.4 Mitigative Measures .................................................................................. 27 8.3 Conservation Easements ....................................................................................... 27 8.3.1 Impacts ...................................................................................................... 28 8.3.2 Mitigative Measures .................................................................................. 28 8.4 Noise ..................................................................................................................... 28 8.4.1 Impacts ...................................................................................................... 30 8.4.2 Mitigative Measures .................................................................................. 31 8.5 Visual Resources ................................................................................................... 31 8.5.1 Impacts ...................................................................................................... 32 8.5.2 Visual Impacts on Public Resources ......................................................... 33 8.5.3 Visual Impacts on Private Lands and Homes ........................................... 34 8.5.4 Mitigative Measures .................................................................................. 34 8.5.5 Shadow Flicker ......................................................................................... 34 8.6 Public Services and Infrastructure ........................................................................ 37 8.6.1 Emergency Services .................................................................................. 37 8.6.2 Existing Utility Infrastructure ................................................................... 38 8.6.3 Roads and Railroads ................................................................................. 39 8.6.4 Communication Systems .......................................................................... 41 8.6.5 Television .................................................................................................. 44 8.6.6 Cell Towers and Broadband Interference ................................................. 45 8.7 Cultural and Archaeological Resources ................................................................ 46 8.7.1 Previous Investigations ............................................................................. 47 8.7.2 Previously Recorded Archaeological and Historic Architectural Resources .................................................................................................. 47 8.7.3 Agency and Tribal Coordination .............................................................. 48 8.7.4 Impacts ...................................................................................................... 48 8.7.5 Mitigative Measures .................................................................................. 49 8.8 Recreation ............................................................................................................. 49 8.8.1 Impacts ...................................................................................................... 51 8.8.2 Mitigative Measures .................................................................................. 52 8.9 Public Health and Safety ....................................................................................... 52 8.9.1 Electromagnetic Fields and Stray Voltage ................................................ 52 8.9.2 Air Traffic ................................................................................................. 53 8.10 Hazardous Materials ............................................................................................. 53 8.10.1 Impacts