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In the past month, our crews have focused on building the network of access roads that will enable turbine delivery and access during project operations, as well as temporary turns for component delivery. So far, approximately 20% of access roads have been fully constructed, with an additional 20-30% that are in process.
Looking ahead, there are several major activities that will take place throughout the summer:
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Public road improvements - Will be made in coordination with local governments and include a combination of road widening, asphalt coating, and culvert replacement and the work will be performed by lead contractor Barton Malow and local subcontractor Erie Blacktop Company.
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Turbine foundation excavation and construction - Crews will begin excavating and constructing turbine foundations the week of June 1st, generally moving from the southern part of the site to the north, with the process expected to conclude by the end of July, with all foundations poured and backfilled. This work will be performed by Barton Malow with assistance from Lisbon, Ohio-based Hilltop Energy and Painesville, Ohio-based R&R Concrete Construction, which will operate a temporary concrete batch plant located at our main laydown yard to help minimize overall traffic impacts from the foundation pouring process.
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Substation & Switchyard construction - Construction of these major electrical parts of the project are expected to begin in June and continue through April 2027.
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Electrical collection system installation - Installation of the underground collection system will begin at the project substation in July 2026 and proceed outward throughout the project area, with completion expected in December 2026. Installation is primarily done via trenching, with a drain tile installer on hand to promptly repair any damaged tile.
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Operations & Maintenance Building - In July, initial work will begin on the permanent operations building for the project, which will be located on the same area as the construction laydown yard. We expect it to be completed by April 2027. The "O&M" will be home base for our local facility manager and wind technicians during operations.
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Transmission Line - The overhead transmission line that connects the project substation to the regional electric grid is expected to be built between August 2026 and April 2027, with construction starting at the existing transmission line north of the Ohio turnpike and moving towards the project substation.
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Wind Turbine Delivery & Assembly - Wind turbine components will begin to be delivered on-site in August 2026, with assembly of the individual turbines to begin shortly thereafter, starting with the tower sections and followed by the nacelle (generator), hub, and blades. All turbines are expected to be fully assembled by January 2027 (weather permitting).
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