SWEETLAND WIND PROJECT

​Sweetland Wind, LLC (Sweetland) proposes to construct the Sweetland Wind Project (Project) in Hand County, South Dakota.  The Project would generate up to 200 mega-watts and would  interconnect to WAPA’s existing Fort Thompson-Huron 230kV 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 NEPA.  As a result, an Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared to evaluate the environmental effects of the Project.  WAPA found there were no significant environmental impacts and selected the Proposed Action Alternative for implementation, as documented in the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), linked below.  ​

Following the completion of the EA and FONSI, Sweetland​ proposed to redesign a portion of the approximately 7-mile-long, 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line (gen-tie) outside of the area previously analyzed in the 2021 EA. ​​ As a result, WAPA has prepared a prepared a ​​Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) to analyze potential impacts of the newly proposed gen-tie line route which were not previously analyzed in the 2021 EA.  The redesigned segment would parallel the north side of WAPA’s existing Fort Thompson to Huron 230-kV line and across a 0.6-mile portion of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Hand County Waterfowl Production Area (referred to hereinafter as the Grassland Easement).​  The USFWS served as a Cooperating Agency in the preparation of the SEA, due to their jurisdiction by law regarding the Grassland Easement.

PROJECT LINKS

Current Documents:

• US Fish & ​Wildlife Service Signature
• Draft Supplemental EA
• Sweetland Wind Supplemental EA
• Sweetland Wind ​Supplemental FONSI​​ and Decision Document

Prior Documents:

• ​Draft EA
• Final EA
• Figures
• Appendices
  • A-E
  • F-J
  • K-Q
  • R
• FONSI and Decision Document​

CONTACT INFORMATION

John Russell

Western Area Power Administration

UGP NEPA Coordinator

2900 4th Avenue North

Billings, MT 59101-1266

(406) 255-2810

JRussell@wapa.gov