WHO?

The Granite Mountain Wind Energy Project is being developed by Granite Wind, LLC, a subsidiary of Sierra Renewables, LLC.  Based in San Bernardino County, Sierra Renewables is a joint venture between Renewable Energy Systems (RES) and L.H. Renewables, LLC.  We have been developing, constructing, owning and operating wind energy projects in California and across the US since the conception of the wind energy industry in the early 1980’s.

For more information on who we are, please go to our web page “About Sierra Renewables.”

WHERE?

The Granite Mountain Wind Energy Project will be located approximately 11 miles east of Apple Valley, on the Granite Mountain range between Apple Valley and Lucerne Valley, in San Bernardino County, California.

The map below show the region and the location for the Granite Wind Energy Project.

WHAT?

About the Project

The Granite Mountain Wind Energy Project is planned to include approximately twenty-eight (28), 2.3 Megawatt (MW) wind turbines (or a similar model of wind turbine of between 2.1 MW and 3 MW in capacity) and associated electrical equipment on Granite Mountain within an area currently under a combination of a Right of Way Grant from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) (for wind energy monitoring and testing and exclusive project area) and private land.  The proposed Project will have a capacity of approximately 58.8 to 81 MW, depending on the make and model of wind turbine to be used.  Of the approximately 28 wind turbines, 20 wind turbines are proposed on BLM-administered land and 8 are proposed on private land.

The amount of land used for the permanent footprint of the Project will be approximately 80 acres (or less than 3% of the Project Site) and there will be wide open undisturbed spaces between the wind turbines.  Temporary ground disturbance during construction will be an additional 102 acres, and this ground will be re-instated as close as possible to its previous condition at the end of construction. 

Typical Wind Turbine Dimensions

The proposed wind turbine generators will be the latest generation of three-bladed, upwind, variable speed 2.3 MW models, or a similar model of wind turbine between 2.1 MW and 3 MW in capacity. For a 2.3 MW wind turbine, the blades will have a 305-foot rotor diameter and a total height from the ground to the tip of the blade in the “12 o’clock” position of approximately 415 feet.  The blades will be made of fiberglass with steel internal components. The nacelle (or main turbine body), which contains the generator, gearbox, main shaft, bearings, yaw mechanism that rotates the turbine around its tower and various safety systems, will be fully enclosed with a steel chassis and fiberglass covering. Each wind turbine is fully automatic and self-regulating, and has been designed to operate in the high winds and hot conditions of the site. Fully enclosed conical steel tubular towers (262-foot tall) will support the turbines and will contain the electronic power and control systems. The wind turbines will be painted bright white as required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Project Access

The access route proposed for the Project is from highway 247 in Lucerne Valley, via Spinel Street and Johnson Road.

Electricity produced by the Project will be transmitted from the Project site via a new transmission line which will run from the Project site approximately three (3) miles south-east to join SCE’s 230 kV transmission system near Lucerne dry lake.

Project Construction

Project construction is anticipated to begin in 2009 and take up to seven (7) months to complete.

Proposed Construction Schedule (Approximate)

Operations

Following commercial operation, the project is expected to have an operating lifetime of 25 to 30 years. During this period, the project will be operated and maintained by a team of up to eight (8) personnel.

At the end of this period, the project will be decommissioned, the equipment removed, and the site restored.

WHO WILL THE PROJECT SUPPLY ELECTRICITY TO?

The project will supply electricity locally and has entered into a long-term power purchase and sales agreement with Southern California Edison, under which Southern California Edison (SCE) will purchase the electricity from the Project for a period of 20 years.

Southern California Edison is the local electricity supplier for the region (including Apple Valley and Lucerne Valley) and the electricity to be produced each year by the Project will be enough to supply the domestic electricity needs of approximately 70,000 people – or a town the size of Apple Valley - and will count towards SCE’s renewable mandates.

The power purchase and sales agreement was entered into as a result of a competitive solicitation by SCE, which ensures that the renewable projects with the “least cost and best fit” are selected.

The price of electricity from the Project is fixed for the 20 year term of the power purchase and sales agreement.  Unlike electricity produced by fossil fuels, the price of electricity produced by the Project will stay the same each year and will not increase during the 20 year term of the agreement.

WHAT WILL THE PROJECT LOOK LIKE?

The Project will not look like Palm Springs which contains many different types and model of wind turbine - from the inception of commercial wind energy technology to the present.  The wind turbines will be the most modern commercial wind energy technology and will be located along the Granite Mountains ridgeline with wide open spaces between them so that they can obtain the best winds.  The blades will rotate much more slowly, at 12 to 15 revolutions per minute, compared with 48 to 52 revolutions per minute. The turbines will all be the same make and model and each will produce an equivalent amount of energy to twenty (20) or thirty (30) of the early generation wind turbines which are located in Palm Springs.

Visual simulations of the Project from Apple Valley and Lucerne Valley have been made and are provided below, together with a map showing the number of wind turbines which will be visible from different locations. 

 

HOW MUCH NOISE WILL THE PROJECT MAKE?

Modern commercial wind turbines are surprisingly quiet.  You can stand underneath the blades and still hold a conversation without raising your voice. 

A noise study has been completed for the project. The maximum noise at the nearest home1.3 miles upwind of the nearest wind turbine will be less than 38.6 dBA under worst case conditions of the wind blowing from the east (which happens less than 30 % of the time) and if measured at a second floor level (at ground level, it will be up to 2 dBA or lower).

The project will be well within the San Bernardino County General Plan residential limits for noise, which are 55 dBA between 7 am and 10 pm and 45 dBA between 10 pm and 7 am.

For comparison, noise levels in a quiet room are between 35 dBA and 40 dBA, a conversation at 3 feet is 60 dBA, an air conditioning window unit at 25 feet is 65 dBA and a passenger car traveling 50 mph at 50 feet is 67 dBa.