EAGLE ROCK, Va. (AP) _ A Charlottesville company is seeking a permit to build a 25-turbine wind farm in Botetourt County. The turbines would stand nearly 550 feet tall and would generate enough electricity to power 20,000 homes. The Roanoke Times reports that Apex Clean Energy filed an application on Friday with the county seeking a special exception permit. The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors must approve the permit before construction can begin. The project also must be approved by other agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The 80-megawatt wind farm would be located atop North Mountain about 5 miles northeast of Eagle Rock. Apex hopes to begin operations by 2017.
