Two Rivers Wind Project

The Two Rivers Wind Project will benefit the local economy with up to 170 workers during peak construction, up to 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.

Numerous studies conducted in Canada and the United States regarding the impact of wind energy projects on property values have shown that the establishment of a wind farm has little to no long-term negative impact on the values of surrounding properties. Most research concludes there is no impact on property values, however there is a small amount of research that shows an increase in property values and small amount of research that shows a temporary decrease.

Below are studies on the relationship between wind facilities and property value:

• Energy Policy (2024): Commercial wind turbines and residential home values: New evidence from the universe of land-based wind projects in the United States
• Commercial Wind Energy Installations and Local Economic Development Evidence from U.S. Counties (2022)
• Journal of Real Estate Research (2020): Wind Energy Facilities and Residential Properties: The Effect of Proximity and View on Sales Prices
• Land (2019): The Influence of Wind Energy and Biogas on Farmland Prices
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (2013): A Spatial Hedonic Analysis of the Effects of Wind Energy Facilities on Surrounding Property Values in the United States

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. Over 20 years of research into the impact of wind turbines on human health indicates that wind turbines – when constructed properly at the permitting authority’s approved setback distances – do not pose a risk to people’s health.

We understand some individuals have concerns about wind facility construction and operation and we take these concerns seriously. The Two Rivers Wind Project has been designed to meet or exceed all local regulations and guidelines in place to protect human health.

Below are studies and fact sheets on the relationship between wind turbines and human health:

• American Clean Power: Wind Turbines and Public 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 and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department recommendations. We are coordinating extensively with state and federal environmental agencies to gather all necessary baseline data to permit the project. We have also met with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine the level of baseline survey information needed and coordination with these agencies will continue.

The following environmental studies have been completed, are currently underway, or are planned to be completed for the project:

• Site Characterization – completed 2018
• Ecological Site Description Mapping – completed 2018
• Sensitive Wildlife Species Surveys – completed 2019
• White Tailed Prairie Dog Colony Mapping – completed 2019
• Avian Use/Eagle Point Count Surveys – completed 2020
• Eagle Activity/Flight Path – completed 2020
• Bat Acoustic Monitoring – completed 2020
• Big Game Fixed Routes – completed 2020
• Erosion Potential Assessment – completed 2018, updated 2022
• Wetland/Waters of the U.S. Delineations – completed 2023
• Raptor Nest Surveys – completed 2020, updated 2024
• Sage Grouse Lek Surveys – completed 2020, updated 2024
• Cultural Resource Surveys – completed 2024

Similar to a communication tower, the FAA has lighting criteria for any tall structure to ensure aircraft remain safe during low lighting conditions, which we will be required to obey. As a result, the project is installing Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS) which is designed to only illuminate when an aircraft is detected in the vicinity of the project.

The noise emissions produced by a wind turbine vary depending on the model and size. However, all wind projects must meet the applicable regulatory requirements for noise control.

Wind turbines occupy a small fraction of the land on which they are sited, so they work in harmony with existing and established land uses. In rural settings, farming and ranching continue undisturbed. Livestock, such as sheep, cows and horses, can continue to graze around the towers. In fact, wind energy helps create a healthier environment by not emitting greenhouse gases or air pollutants, and using no freshwater to generate electricity.

BluEarth and Clearway, the developers of the Two Rivers Wind Project, have worked extensively with the agencies including US Fish and Wildlife and the Bureau of Land Management on the layout, design, and potential mitigations aimed at minimizing the impacts to eagle populations in the region. We are committed to employing mitigation measures over the lifetime of the project to ensure potential impacts are minimized. The project will conduct post-construction monitoring and continue to work with the agencies to adaptively manage impacts if they are observed overtime.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for overseeing each wind project’s effect on local areas populations in conjunction with proposed and existing projects.