OLYMPIA, Wash. — Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington turned down a suggestion to cut in half a plan for what would be the state’s biggest wind farm on Thursday. This gave the $1.7 billion project a new lease on life.
Up to 222 wind turbines were supposed to be placed on up to 24 miles (38.6 kilometers) of hillsides in the Tri-Cities area of eastern Washington as part of the Horse Heaven wind farm. Three solar panels were also supposed to cover up to 8.5 square miles (22 square kilometers).
The seven-person Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council in Washington, which handles permits for big projects, said last month that the plan should be cut in half because nests of the rare ferruginous hawk were found in the area, as reported by The Seattle Times.
Thursday, Inslee turned down the council’s suggestion and told the group to think again so that the project could grow to its fullest potential. As a Democrat, Inslee is not running for re-election after three terms. He has made climate change efforts a big part of his legacy.
Since it was first suggested in 2021, the wind farm project has been a fight between local opponents and the state’s growing need for clean energy. Inslee told the Site Evaluation Council in a letter that Washington’s energy needs could almost double by 2050.
He said that people in the area who don’t want to see the turbines wasn’t a good enough reason to turn down the whole idea.
“It is clear that the turbines will only be seen from afar, and none of them will be so big that they block anyone’s view,” he wrote.
The governor asked the council to try to give the Yakama Nation better access to the lands, which are cultural and historical, but to still fix up most of the planned wind farm. Tribal groups on the West Coast are upset about what they see as a lack of consultation on plans that would affect waters and land that are culturally important.
The Horse Heaven wind farm has been on the council’s mind for more than three years. The governor pointed out that it only has three months to look over the notes and change its original suggestion.
