Final vote expected on Horse Heaven wind energy farm near Tri-Cities

After years of study, debate and passionate pushback from community members in the Tri Cities, the Washington Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council votes Friday on a final recommendation on the Horse Heaven Clean Energy Center.

The Scout Clean Energy project, a company that was recently purchased by a Canadian investment firm, would have up to 222 turbines about 500 feet tall, or 141 turbines about 670 feet tall. There will also be solar arrays and battery storage, stretching from Horse Heaven Hills just south of Kennewick for about 24 miles from Finley to Benton City.

As previously reported by The Center Square, EFSEC spent three years studying the project before recommending to Gov. Jay Inslee in April that the project move ahead but with about half as many wind turbines as it had proposed. EFSEC reduced the size of the project to protect endangered ferruginous hawks, Native American traditional lands and skyline views from much of the Tri-Cities.

But Inslee pushed back on the recommendations arguing the mitigation measures should be more specifically tailored and he requested a revised approval of the project “that appropriately prioritizes the state’s pressing clean energy needs.”

After EFSEC discussion following Inslee’s request, the council’s staff came up with a proposal that would impact about three dozen proposed turbines, but it is was not clear if those would be removed from the planned project, or relocated elsewhere.

“When you’re talking about this many turbines, I think the elephant in the room is the fact that we’re not looking clear eyed at what the environmental impacts will be for a project of this scope and size, Rep. Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy, told The Center Square following EFSEC’s last meeting.

A group called Tri-Cities CARES, opposing the wind farm argues it is too close to the Tri-Cities and will destroy open views of the landscape.

A Tri City Herald Op-Ed read, in part, “After listening to everyone, EFSEC struck a fair compromise. The project could go forward, but not at the scale originally proposed. That wasn’t good enough for the governor. Inslee believes that the need for green energy must trump any concerns.”

The Friday meeting can be viewed via TVW and is linked here. It starts at 3:30 pm. Although it is open to the public, no public comments will be taken.

This story will be updated following the final vote.