negotiations are under way between the city of cheyenne and a company to build turbines on the ranch.

By Jodi Rogstad

jrogstad@wyomingnews.com

CHEYENNE - Wind energy at the Belvoir Ranch could be five to 10 years away, one city official says.

City leaders have envisioned that revenues from a land lease with a wind developer would pay for developing and maintaining the 18,000 acres located just southwest of the city limits.

One project is to develop a trail system in the canyons of the Big Hole Nature Preserve that would connect with an expansive system in northern Colorado.

Right now, the city is negotiating with a wind energy company that is interested in building turbines at the Belvoir Ranch, city engineer Ken Lewis said.

The city has gotten a number of proposals and has narrowed the field. But he said he can't say yet which company the city is talking to.

"We are a few months to a half a year out of having a contract in hand," Lewis said.

The hitch is getting the electricity from the turbines to the market, which is impossible now. The transmission lines that export energy to Colorado are at capacity.

In few years, that will change.

The Wyoming-Colorado Intertie Transmission Project will bring north- and south-running lines to the Front Range by 2013 or early 2014, said Loyd Drain of the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority.

Those will cut through southeastern Wyoming near Cheyenne.

The project is a partnership of the authority and private firms Trans-Elect Development and Western Area Power Administration.

The project was born from the Rocky Mountain Area Transmission Study, which showed bottlenecks in the flow of electricity out of Wyoming.

"Take a look at the market area," Drain said. "Without a doubt, there are resources in Wyoming. Without a doubt, there is ample market to justify this project."

This summer, the partnership put 850 megawatts up for auction. That's enough to power about 400,000 homes.

Two companies that met the credit criteria to support a 20-year commitment signed for a combined 585 megawatts: GreenHunter Wind Company and Duke Energy Ohio. Both are wind companies with separate developments near Chugwater.

Recently, Duke Energy built 14 turbines at the city's landfill at Happy Jack Road.

Right now there remains 265 megawatts of capacity up for purchase for the transmission project.

But companies don't have to disclose to the authority where they're going to build, Drain said.

Calls to Duke Energy and GreenHunter were not immediately returned.

Once built, the transmission project wouldn't hit the Belvoir Ranch. But Lewis said it would be within striking distance.

"It would require additional transmission to get there," Lewis said. "Theoretically, it will totally resolve the transmission issues at Belvoir."

In 2003, the city paid $5.9 million for the ranch to drill wells and build a new landfill. Landfill plans are on hold.

When the city bought the Big Hole from the Nature Conservancy, plans quickly turned to recreation.

This summer, the City Council approved a master plan for the ranch. One hope is to build trails that would connect to an expansive system in northern Colorado that is to open in June.

In fact, when those trails open, hikers will be able to venture a short distance into the Big Hole, said the city's urban planner, Matt Ashby.

Because of the topography, some of the trail will dip into the Wyoming side of the Big Hole and curve back around into Colorado. Right now, the city is working on an agreement.

While there are no revenues streams yet to build these trails, the city's planning department is seeking other options.

Leadership Cheyenne donated $12,000 from its Bootification Ball for trail development.

"We'll be probably be looking at that and what we can accomplish with that money in the coming year," Ashby said." It's a good seed."

The city also plans to apply for a Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust grant. That money could build trails with an education component.

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