Santa Barbara County Supervisors to hear appeal of wind farm near Lompoc

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - Santa Barbara County's first approved wind farm in the hills south of Lompoc is being appealed to the Board of Supervisors.

The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission approved the project late last year by Strauss Wind Energy to build 29 wind turbines standing 450 feet tall on about three thousand acres of land at the end of San Miguelito Canyon Road.

The wind farm could generated nearly 100 megawatts of electricity every year, reduce CO2 emissions by tens of thousands of metric tons and double Santa Barbara County's annual renewable energy production, an issue that is gaining political support locally.

The project is being appealed to the Board of Supervisors by the California Native Plant Society, Citizens For Responsible Wind Energy and neighboring property owner George Bedford.

They argue the wind farm will harm the local ecosystem, including native and migratory birds, and dramatically alter the unique, rural landscape of the area.

They also point to negative impacts from new road construction for the project, vehicle traffic and maintenance issues.

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting gets underway at 9:00 a.m. at the Betteravia Government Center in Santa Maria.