Pursuant to the stipulation, Beech Ridge Energy, an affiliate of Invenergy Wind, may immediately construct and bring into operation up to the 67 turbines originally planned for the initial phase of the project with certain alterations made to the original project configuration. Beech Ridge may operate the project year-round.
Until the project obtains an Incidental Take Permit from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, it will be subject to certain time-of-day restrictions during seasons when Indiana bats are out of hibernation. Under the terms of the agreement, Beech Ridge also may in the future expand the initial phase of the project by an additional 33 turbines.
Joe Condo, vice president and general counsel of Invenergy, said: ”We are very pleased to have reached an agreement that allows us to move forward with creating clean, renewable energy in Greenbrier County while at the same time meeting the goals of important wildlife conservation efforts.
”This compromise will permit Beech Ridge Energy to continue employing skilled West Virginia construction workers to finish building the project and to proceed with the hiring of the full-time local operations team.”
