Beech Ridge Wind Farm

It is served by a new 13.8 miles (22.2 km), 138 kilovolt power transmission line, located in Greenbrier and Nicholas counties, tied to an electrical substation near Nettie, West Virginia.

In December 2005, a group called Mountain Communities for Responsible Energy (MCRE) was formed to oppose the development, citing concerns including potential reductions in property values, adverse effects on tourism, bat fatalities, claimed inefficiency of wind energy, tax benefits for wind factories, environmental degradation, and stresses on the local infrastructure.

MCRE and several local individuals filed motions to dismiss the application, but the PSC ultimately approved the project in December 2006.

[6][7] [8] On June 23, 2008, the Court ruled in favor of Beech Ridge, indicating that the Public Service Commission had acted appropriately in granting the building permit, thus clearing the way for the development.

[9] The PSC held compliance hearings on October 16 and 17, during which it was announced that Beech Ridge would not build any turbines within one mile of the dwelling of anyone who opposed the project.

[13][14] Construction began in mid-2009 and by early December of that year, road building and site preparation was well advanced, and several turbines had been erected.