The Western Area Power Administration announced a record of decision​ approving the interconnection of the proposed 504 MW Rail Tie Wind Project to WAPA’s transmission system. 

The project would be owned by ConnectGen, and is designed to include up to 149 wind turbines. The wind project would be located on an approximately 26,000-acre site roughly centered on the town of Tie Siding, Wyoming, and bisected by U.S. Highway 287. The site is south of Laramie and just north of the Colorado border.

In addition to the turbines, the proposed project would include access roads, collection lines, substations, control buildings, meteorological towers and other related infrastructure. 

WAPA spent three years evaluating two interconnection requests submitted by ConnectGen Albany County LLC, to connect the Rail Tie Wind Project to WAPA’s existing Ault-Craig 345-kilovolt line in Albany County, Wyoming.

Because the project involves an action by the federal government, WAPA prepared an environmental impact statement for the interconnection requests and proposed wind project.

Technical analyses found available capacity on WAPA’s system and the decision follows an administrative process that included four formal opportunities for public comment. 

WAPA published the final EIS in November 2021. The EIS analyzed the expected environmental impacts of both WAPA’s federal action of whether to allow the interconnection and of ConnectGen’s proposed Rail Tie Wind Project.

If ConnectGen completes all other local, state and federal permitting requirements, it will construct and WAPA will own, operate and maintain a switchyard to control power flow onto the existing line.