July 17, 2024

PARIS, TEXAS- Bug Tussle Wind, LLC today secured approval of a road agreement with Lamar County that provides for road work in the Petty, Brookston and Roxton areas of Lamar County. Bug Tussle Wind, LLC is an affiliate of the Austin, Texas wind power company, Cielo Wind Power, LLC. The agreement requires the project to upgrade about 30 miles of Lamar County roads using Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) specification gravel material to provide a finished 20’ wide all weather riding course. TxDOT Type IV gravel material, common road base material in Northeast Texas, is required to be used for road improvement work. These roads are adjacent to the area that the wind company plans to construct $300 million in wind power facilities on private farm land in both Lamar and Fannin Counties. The project could start construction as early as late 2024 depending on progress with project engineering work. “The goal of Bug Tussle Wind, LLC is to complete a best in class wind project that reliably operates for decades while also contributing to local economic development through local contracting and local hiring once construction begins.” says the company’s president, Walt Hornaday.

The Lamar County road agreement also puts strict construction obligations on the project. The project is now limited on how close a wind turbines can be located to a Lamar County Road per the terms of the agreement. Depending on how much of the land adjacent to the road is owned or leased by the project, turbine steel tower bases can be no closer than 300’ to 600’ from the road. Further, any underground electrical wires crossing the Lamar County right of way are required to be buried 48” deep as to not impact future utility right of way use or future county maintenance work of the right of way.

Lamar County commissioners additionally required the project to contribute an extra stock pile of 10,000 cubic yards of ¾” gravel material when the project starts construction. This is extra material that Lamar County is planning to use in other areas of the County.

After construction of the wind project, an additional 10 miles of roads in the area are planned to be upgraded as well as the original 30 miles of roads being reworked post construction. In all, a total of 40 miles of county roads will be brought to all weather condition funded by Bug Tussle Wind, LLC. “The road agreement maximizes the road improvements we could bring to the neighboring Lamar County roads” says Bug Tussle Wind, LLC’s Walt Hornaday. “This road agreement and the Lamar County road upgrades will represent a substantial road improvement project once the project starts construction. We look forward to working cooperatively with Lamar County on exceeding their expectations on the work” says Hornaday.

For more information, contact Karen Burks at(512) 658-6106 or kburks@cielowind.com.