Philip Wind Project
Philip Wind Partners LLC proposes to construct the Philip Wind Project (Project) in Haakon County, South Dakota. The Project would involve construction of a 300-megawatt (MW) wind farm generating facility that includes approximately 90 turbines (up to 6.1 MW each) and associated pads and would interconnect to WAPA’s existing New Underwood to Oahe 230-kV transmission line.
WAPA’s Involvement
If there is available transmission capacity on the federal transmission system, WAPA provides open access to transmission services so that energy producers can transmit power to their customers. Any entity requesting transmission services must submit an application for interconnection. For more information about the interconnection process, visit WAPA’s website here. The federal interconnection process is separate from any State, County, or local permitting and approvals that may be required.
The proposed interconnection of the Project to WAPA’s transmission system is a Federal action under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). As a result, an Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared to evaluate the environmental effects of the Project. The EA tiers from the analysis conducted in the Upper Great Plains Wind Energy Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). The PEIS can be viewed here.
Public Involvement
A public scoping period was held from January 19th to February 13th, 2023. During the scoping process, input was requested from the general public, government agencies, tribal governments, and others to identify issues and alternatives that would help WAPA define the scope of the EA.
WAPA is now announcing the publication of the Draft EA. A public review period for the Draft EA is being held until March 16, 2024.
Comments may be submitted by:
- Email to nepa@wapa.gov with Philip Wind in the subject line
- Hard-copy letter to
Western Area Power Administration
Attn: UGP NEPA Coordinator
2900 4th Avenue North
Billings, MT 59101-1266
By voicemail hotline to (605) 409-5116
Written comments should be postmarked no later than March 16, 2024.
A summary of all public comments received during scoping as well as responses, is included in Appendix J of the Draft EA (available for download below).
Project Links
- Draft EA (PDF)
- Interested Party Letter (PDF)
- Project Overview Map (PDF)
- Public Comment Form (PDF)
- Draft EA Newspaper Announcement (PDF)
Philip Wind Appendixes
| wdt_ID | Appendix | Appendix Name | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Appendix A | Preconstruction Wind Turbine Noise Report | |
| 2 | Appendix B | Eagle Utilization Distribution Monitoring Report | |
| 3 | Appendix C | Whooping Crane Habitat Assessment Report | |
| 4 | Appendix D | Prairie Dog Colony Status and Mapping Report | |
| 5 | Appendix E | Northern Long-eared Bat Habitat Assessment Report | |
| 6 | Appendix F | Raptor Nest Survey Report | |
| 7 | Appendix G | Prairie Grouse Lek Survey Report_508 | |
| 8 | Appendix H | Grassland Habitat Assessment Report | |
| 9 | Appendix I | Water Resource Analysis Report | |
| 10 | Appendix J | Public Involvement | |
| 11 | Appendix K | Programmatic Biological Assessment Project Consistency Evaluation Forms | |
| 12 | Appendix L | Philip Wind WHCR Monitoring Contingency Plan | |
| 13 | Appendix M | Philip Wind Shadow Flicker Study | |
| 14 | Appendix N | Cultural Resources | |
| 15 | Appendix O | Philip Wind Draft EA UGP PEIS BMPs |
Contact Information
Western Area Power Administration
Attn: John Russell
2900 4th Avenue North
Billings, MT 59101-1266
(406) 255-2810
Last modified on November 8th, 2024