A renewable energy developer sought ECT’s support for a large-scale wind repower project involving the decommissioning of existing turbines and the construction of new turbines along with associated infrastructure. Given the project’s footprint across both private and state trust lands, the client needed a partner with deep expertise navigating overlapping regulatory frameworks and the technical resource evaluations required to keep permitting on track. ECT’s experience with complex, multi-jurisdictional energy infrastructure projects and its close coordination with the relevant state land management agency throughout made the firm well-suited to guide the client through this process.
ECT’s scope centered on the resource evaluations necessary to support the repowering effort, spanning both the decommissioning and new-build components of the project. On the cultural resources side, ECT conducted an Archaeological Records Management Section (ARMS) review in accordance with applicable state cultural properties protection regulations, helping confirm known cultural resources were properly identified and factored into project design and permitting. In addition, ECT conducted a survey that included documentation of previously recorded and newly identified cultural resources present. This survey and agency coordination resulted in plans by the proponent that will minimize impacts, while allowing the project to move forward.
In parallel, ECT performed an aquatic resource delineation following U.S. Army Corps of Engineers protocols to characterize surface water features across the site and inform Clean Water Act Section 404 considerations. ECT is also supporting the project with environmental training, coordination with the state land office pertaining to natural resources, and development of an unanticipated discoveries plan.
The ARMS review and cultural resource surveys gave the client early visibility into potential archaeological constraints, allowing them to be addressed proactively in project design rather than as late-stage permitting obstacles. The aquatic resource delineation confirmed the absence of wetlands or perennial streams while documenting ephemeral conveyances on site, providing the client with a well-supported basis for Section 404 documentation. Together, these efforts have helped the client move forward with permitting on both private and state lands with confidence in the project’s environmental compliance position.