PULLMAN, WA – The developer of the controversial wind farm near Kamiak Butte is threatening to take the proposed project to the state for approval after facing open hostility from some local citizens opposed to the project.
Steelhead Americas out of Portland wants to build and operate a 45 turbine wind farm on 15,000 acres of privately leased land. In January the Whitman County Commissioners placed a six month moratorium on new commercial wind turbines to allow the planning commission time to update wind farm regulations.
The planning commission held a meeting on the code update last week in Colfax. Near the end of the meeting there was a verbal altercation between wind farm supporters and opponents just outside the room. Steelhead Americas has sent an email to the county commissioners about the hostility and a notification that they may move the project’s oversight to Olympia.
The email state’s that landowners who have leased ground for the project were physically threatened and intimidated during the meeting. Steelhead Americas executives say the incidents are egregious and are a pattern of threats aimed at their partners. The developers say the “behavior does not reflect the majority of the county’s citizens, but it has dominated the conversation, suppressing support for the project.” The email also argues that the county commissioners haven’t given the planning commission guidance on how to proceed with the wind farm code update allowing opponents to monopolize resources and grandstand against renewable energy. The message informs the commissioners that Steelhead Americas officials and their supporters will no longer attend planning meetings in-person due to the safety concerns.
The end of the message informs the commissioners that Steelhead Americas has begun the pre-application process with the Washington Energy Facilities Site Evaluation Council. Developers in Washington can take green energy projects to the state council for the approval and permitting process and avoid local government oversight. EFSEC projects are eventually sent to the governor for a final decision. It’s unclear if Steelhead Americas has decided to go to the state, as they also say they remain open to working with Whitman County if it’s safe and there’s progress on the code update. Steelhead Americas proactively provided their email to the county to Pullman Radio News but are declining to answer further questions for clarification. You can listen to Whitman County Commissioner Chairman Tom Handy react to the possibility that the wind farm could be evaluated at the state level with the file below.
Handy sent a response to Steelhead Americas and has provided that message to Pullman Radio News. Handy apologized for what happened at the planning meeting and called the citizen hostility embarrassing. He told the developers that there will be security at future meetings and the proceedings will be conducted in a more orderly fashion. You can listen to Handy comment about the hostility with the file below.
Handy notes that the planning commission will now meet twice a month to work on the wind farm code update. Priority items from the commissioners to the planning commission for the update may be provided in the next couple of weeks if there isn’t sufficient progress. Handy has told Pullman Radio News that there will now be a sheriff’s deputy at future wind farm meetings.
The updated wind farm rules for Whitman County will eventually go to the county commissioners for consideration of final approval. The proposed project has drawn strong opposition from a large coalition of local residents called Save the Palouse. Kamiak Butte North of Pullman is designated as a National Natural Landmark. Steelhead Americas proposed wind farm is called Harvest Hills.
You can read the messages between Steelhead Americas and Chair Handy below.
