A project which could use the wind to potentially power more than 40,000 homes on the Central Coast has received a key approval. The Santa Barbara Planning Commission this week unanimously okayed a project by Strauss Wind to build more than two dozen wind turbine generators on a nearly 3,000 acre site south of Lompoc.
The generators would stand almost 400 feet tall.
Representatives of a number of environmental groups spoke in favor of the renewable energy project. Some people expressed concern about the potential for accidental bird and bat deaths due to the giant turbine blades. The Planning Commission added requirements that the situation be monitored to see if accidental wildlife deaths become a significant issue.
The project has been in the planning process for nearly three years. Strauss Energy officials say they hope to have the facility up and running in 2020.
