Heartland Wind Farms

Quick Facts

Project Summary

Metro Consulting Associates (MCA) provided balance of plant design services for the wind farm which required coordination with the developer, civil construction contractor, utility purchasing and operating firm, landowners, and several municipalities. Throughout the project, MCA assisted multiple stakeholders in understanding, navigating, and obtaining the required municipal, state, and federal permits including but not limited Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), and local road and county drain commissions.

The firm’s ecological team provided habitat assessment and threatened and endangered species (TES) surveys and EGLE permitting for wetlands, inland lakes and streams, and floodplain impacts. The team spent over two years flagging wetlands and making stream assessments, which provided the client and engineering team with valuable information regarding the project design to minimize the wetland impacts.

Months after the completion of survey services, many proposed driveways and access road locations were renegotiated and shifted closer to the property lines days before sub-grade stabilization took place. The firm’s engineering team quickly delivered new engineering roadway designs for our surveyors to restake access roads. Although challenging, MCA proved its expertise with the quick turnaround.