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The National Park Service is requesting public comment regarding energy efficiency plans at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch.
NPS officials are proposing infrastructure improvements at the Ranch, geared toward conserving energy and water, reducing waste and replacing the photovoltaic system—including its storage batteries and control equipment—on site. The plan also includes a provision for a new micro hydro turbine.
Augmenting the sustainable energy infrastructure at the Ranch would also reduce dependency on the current fossil fuel-powered generator, which would in turn reduce greenhouse gas emission.
Monitoring equipment would be installed under the plan, to record energy use and use the data as a baseline for exploring additional renewable energy technologies. The plan would also expand an existing administrative building.
Located 10 miles from electric service in Yellowstone National Park, the Lamar Buffalo Ranch requires such technologies in order to function. And the complex, as a whole, is in need of an update. The photovoltaic system, for instance, was installed in 1996, making it ancient compared to what solar energy technology is available today.
This announcement follows an earlier announcement in June, where Toyota donated a set of used hybrid car batteries to the Lamar Buffalo Ranch.
Public comment is sought regarding whether the proposed plan upholds the National Environmental Policy Act and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. An Environmental Assessment accompanies the public comment period.
If you are interested in commenting, you can either respond on the Planning, Environment and Public Comment website or you can write your comments and mail them to the following address:
National Park Service, P.O. Box 168
Yellowstone National Park
Wyoming, 82190
Faxed and e-mailed comments will not be accepted. Bulk comments are also prohibited. To be considered, all comments must be received by the NPS by midnight MDT, August 15, 2014.
After every comment has been delivered and read over, the Regional Director of the Intermountain Region of the NPS will render a decision regarding the Lamar Buffalo Ranch plan.
