Appeals Filed Against Lompoc Wind Farm

Three appeals filed against the Strauss Wind Energy Project (SWEP) are challenging the installation of 29 wind turbines on a 3,000-acre plot of land in the hills outside Lompoc. 

At a Planning Commission meeting in November, several environmental organizations argued that the project would have a negative impact on the area’s unique local ecosystem, but were ultimately unable to sway the commission away from the project, which would double the county’s renewable energy capacity. The 450-foot turbines have the potential to generate 98 megawatts of electricity annually, reducing CO2 emissions by around 40,000 metric tons per year. 

The three appeals are filed by the California Native Plant Society, an unincorporated organization named Citizens for Responsible Wind Energy made up of a handful of labor organizations, and windfarm neighbor George Bedford, who argues the project would change the character of the surrounding landscape.