Kennewick, WA — A Washington state council is considering lifting most proposed restrictions that would have about halved the number of turbines allowed in a proposed wind farm stretching 24 miles along the Horse Heaven Hills south of Tri-Cities.
The Washington state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) spent three years studying the proposal and hearing public comment before recommending to Gov. Jay Inslee approve the Horse Heaven Clean Energy Center , with restrictions to protect endangered ferruginous hawks, Native American cultural resources and fly zones now available for aerial firefighting.
It recommended eliminating a substantial number of the ridge top turbines that would dominate the skyline view from much of the Tri-Cities.
But Inslee asked EFSEC to take another look, requesting a revised approval of the project “that appropriately prioritizes the state’s pressing clean energy needs.”
He said mitigation measures should be considered that would be more specifically tailored to concerns raised about the project rather than significantly limiting the project areas where turbines could be built as it recommended.