Human impactsAre generally limited to impacts such as noise or shadow flicker. It is the developer’s responsibility to provide sufficient project impact estimates for the local permitting authority to approve the project based on how those impacts relate to thresholds that are described in the local ordinance.
EnvironmentalThe requirements for species and habitat impact evaluations depend on the project size with smaller projects (including those that utilize single, large machines) may only need to conduct a landscape and site-level assessment. If the project does not utilize federal grant monies than this assessment may be voluntary. If the project does utilize federal grant monies (thus constituting a federal “nexus”), it is likely to require consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service, which would conduct the appropriate level of assessment. The project developer should be aware of any biological assessments that would be appropriate for the project and should have a plan for securing any necessary state or federal approvals that will allow the project to proceed.
Grid screening
To ensure that the distribution network is capable of supporting the proposed project and to identify any system upgrades that might be necessary, is expected to be performed by the cooperative itself according to its own processes. In cases where the project scale is such that the local system engineer requires additional resources or support, cooperatives will reach out to their established resources.
Aviation
The degree of and necessity for FAA clearance also depends on project scale and location. Even small projects, if proximal (within 10,000 feet) to an airport should be expected to conduct an on-line obstruction evaluation to ensure that the proposed structure does not present a navigational hazard. Structures under 200 feet and distant from airports (or heliports) are not generally required to conduct an obstruction evaluation, but given the ease with which this screening can be done it is still recommended. Structures over 200 feet will always require an obstruction evaluation screening and will require lighting. The project developer should be familiar with these requirements and should also know the process for obstruction evaluation and notification.
Buildability
The level of supporting infrastructure, such as roads, crane paths, staging areas, or collection grids, will depend entirely on the size and complexity of the proposed project as well as the existing infrastructure at the project site. It is not uncommon for small projects to require almost no additional infrastructure, aside from the turbine foundation and the interconnection equipment. Larger FTM project may be indistinguishable from the collection grid and access infrastructure requirements of a wind farm. Again, the project developer should be familiar with these requirements and should know what additional infrastructure investments the project can financially support.
