Wind Farm possibly coming to Botetourt County

Map of the site (Copyright by WSLS - All rights reserved)

BOTETOURT COUNTY (WSLS 10) - Botetourt County is one step closer to becoming the new site of a wind farm.

After months of talks with Botetourt County leaders, Apex Clean Energy officially applied for a building permit to put up test towers on North Mountain.

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The test towers would be used to gather data on wind speed and other information needed to begin construction on the project known as Rocky Forge. The site would have up to 25 wind turbines on North Mountain, about five miles away from Eagle Rock.

This comes amidst a lawsuit against the company by eight county residents who oppose the turbines, claiming they are a danger to wildlife and the public.

Project size: (anticipated)

  • Enough energy to power up to 20,000 U.S. homes
  • Turbines will be spaced approximately ¼ mile apart
  • Existing high-voltage power lines and highways would limit the need for new infrastructure
  • Up to 25 modern, slow-spinning wind turbines (may be up to 500 feet from base to tip, spinning at an average rate of about 15 RPM)
  • Power will be delivered into the VA electrical grid
  • Up to 100 jobs and significant local spending during construction
  • About 5 full-time jobs created for operations and maintenance
  • Taxpayers protected against decommissioning costs
  • Would represent a significant investment in local economy with revenues for property owners, local government services and schools for 30 years

For additional information, click here. 


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