The US Bureau of Land Management has approved Brookfield Renewables’ plans to repower the existing 30MW Mesa wind farm in the state of California.
The project is located on public lands 18km northwest of the city of Palm Springs in Riverside County.
It has been operational since 1983.
The repowering involves the removal of approximately 460 older generation turbines, and the installation of up to nine new models
Acting BLM field manager for the Palm Springs-South Coast field office Jeremiah Karuzas said: “The Mesa Wind repower project is a good example of how evolving technologies can help meet our energy needs while allowing for more efficient use of our public lands.”
BLM said an environmental assessment had addressed the potential impacts of the wind repowering project.
The assessment analysed three alternatives, with the chosen alternative selected because it meets the energy generation goal of the project while reducing the potential for impacts to visual resources, the Bureau said.
It added that the proposal also reduces ground disturbance.