About this Project
We are the proud developers of the Papermill Wind Project. This 340 MW wind project is proposed on private land and Arizona State Land near Herber-Overgaard, Arizona. This project would produce enough energy to power approximately 74,000 homes annually.
Project Location
The Papermill Wind Project is proposed on approximately 42,000 acres of privately owned land and Arizona State Land, primarily used for ranching and cattle grazing. The Project is located approximately 10 miles northeast of Heber-Overgaard in Navajo County, Arizona.
Project Development
With decades of experience, we have a team of internal experts to take projects from conception and make them a reality. Our team works in close consultation with government agencies and key stakeholders to site, build and operate our facilities responsibly. To learn more about our approach to project development, click here.
Development work began on this Project in 2020 with the signing of the first private land lease. Since then, we have been actively advancing development activities and stakeholder engagement. We have completed over two years of pre-construction wildlife surveys that are consistent with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Land-based Wind Energy Guidelines and Arizona Game & Fish recommendations. We have engaged early and often with federal, state and local agencies to fully understand permitting requirements, and incorporate feedback and appropriate setbacks into the siting of project infrastructure.
The Project is located within a premier wind resource location and we have collected over two years of on-site resource data to support the energy generation forecast and turbine selection. This year we have also completed title mapping and aerial surveys, hydrology and geotechnical studies, as well as engineering studies for layout and design.
We are actively pursuing market opportunities for a power purchase agreement, as well as advancing the Project through the interconnection process to secure an interconnection agreement within the next year. The Project will also progress through the Navajo County Special Use Permit process for Wind Generation Facilities with a targeted approval by early 2025. The Project is currently targeting a Commercial Operation Date of late 2027 with construction starting in mid 2025.
We are committed to engaging stakeholders in the decision-making process for the project. We believe that trust is the foundation for long-term successful relationships, and we know that trust is only earned over time, by working together with honest and transparent communications.
Community Feedback Survey
Your feedback on the Papermill Wind Project is very important to us. We encourage you to share your thoughts, questions, comments, or suggestions using the survey provided here.
Public Open Houses
Public Open House #1
On November 29, 2023, we hosted our first open house for the community to meet our team and learn more about the proposed Papermill Wind Project. All the materials shared at this meeting can be found under the ‘Additional Resources’ section below.
Public Open House #2
On May 15, 2024, we hosted the second public community meeting for the community to meet our team and learn more about the proposed Papermill Wind Project. The Project team provided a presentation on the proposed project followed by a community Q&A session. All the materials shared at this meeting can be found under the ‘Additional Resources’ section below.
For more information on the Papermill Wind Project, please email us at projects@bluearth.ca or call 1-844-214-2578.
Project Infrastructure
The Papermill Wind Project would involve wind turbines, a project substation, an operations and maintenance building, electrical collector systems and access roads, and a high-voltage transmission line to the point of interconnection.
Additional Resources
The following fact sheets on wind energy were also available to attendees:
Frequently Asked Questions
The Papermill Wind Project will benefit the local economy with up to 170 workers during peak construction, 10 full time Operation & Maintenance Technician positions, indirect revenue to the local municipality in the form of local services and supplies, and tax revenue over the life of the project. Wind projects provide stable income to local farmers and landowners from land lease agreements and allow farming up to the base of the turbine gravel pad, leading to increased diversification of local landowner income.
The most comprehensive study on wind facilities and property values to-date was conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The study analyzed more than 50,000 home sales near 67 wind facilities across nine U.S. states over ten years and found no statistical evidence that operating wind facilities have had any measurable impacts on home sale prices.
Below are studies on the relationship between wind facilities and property value:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: A Spatial Hedonic Analysis of the Effects of Wind Energy Facilities on Surrounding Property Values in the United States
- Journal of Real Estate Research: Wind Energy Facilities and Residential Properties: The Effect of Proximity and View on Sales Prices
No. TV and internet signals are now primarily digital and will not be impacted by this project.
The global wind industry collectively continues to engage with experts in science, medicine and occupational and environmental health to monitor ongoing credible research in the area of wind turbines and human health. A major study of over a thousand homes by Health Canada in 2014, found that wind turbine noise exposure was not associated with self-reported medical illnesses and health conditions.
We understand some individuals have concerns about wind facility construction and operation and we take these concerns seriously. The Papermill Wind Project has been designed to meet or exceed all local regulations and guidelines in place to protect human health.
Below are studies on the relationship between wind turbines and human health:
- Health Canada: Wind Turbine Noise and Health Study: Summary of Results
- Journal of Occupations and Environmental Medicine: Wind Turbines and Health: A Critical Review of the Scientific Literature
- Independent Expert Panel prepared for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection: Wind Turbine Health Impact Study
Pre-construction wildlife surveys are being conducted consistent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Land-based Wind Energy Guidelines. We are coordinating extensively with state and federal environmental agencies to gather all necessary baseline data to permit the project. Meetings with the Arizona Game and Fish Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have been initiated to determine the level of baseline survey information needed and coordination will continue.
The following environmental studies have been completed, are currently underway, or are planned to be completed for the project:
- Site Characterization – completed 2021
- Ecological Site Description Mapping – completed 2018
- Wetland/Waters of the U.S. Delineations – completed 2023
- Cultural Resource Surveys – completed 2023
- Avian Use/Eagle Point Count Surveys– completed 2023
- Raptor Nest Surveys – completed 2023
- Eagle Activity/Flight Path – completed 2023
- Bat Acoustic Monitoring – completed 2023
- Sensitive Wildlife Species surveys – completed 2023
- Erosion Potential Assessment – anticipated completion 2024
