The company, which aims to build a 1,150-megawatt wind farm, has received state approval for the Horse Heaven Hills site despite threats from Benton County and local leaders to sue to halt the project. There is.
The Washington Energy Facilities Site Evaluation Council has issued a site certification contract for Scout Energy’s Horse Haven Clean Energy Center. The City Council’s decision comes after outgoing Gov. Jay Inslee gave approval to the project in October.
Scout Energy officials announced Nov. 21 that they have completed a multi-year permitting process and signed an agreement to build the state’s largest clean energy project, according to a release.
“This project represents a major step forward in the state’s clean energy transition, bringing sustainable power and economic benefits to communities across Washington,” the company said in a release.
Scout Energy, based in Boulder, Colo., said the project will create an expected 1,000 jobs during construction and contribute more than $250 million in local tax revenue over its 35-year life. A June 2022 agreement between the project developer and the Tri-City Labor Union ensures that the project will be constructed by local union labor.
But not everyone supports wind power plans touted as helping the state meet its clean energy goals.
Tri-Cities CARES, a local nonprofit group, indicated in a message to supporters in early November that it was considering legal options to shut down the wind farm. The city is currently trying to raise money ahead of the Dec. 2 deadline to appeal the council’s decision.
The group’s leaders said that “filing a lawsuit would stop, delay, or scale back construction of the project to prevent the significant environmental and economic damage this project would cause to the Tri-Cities.” This is the only way,” he said in a message to supporters. .
On Nov. 19, the Benton County Commission voted unanimously to have the county’s attorney draft an appeal of Scout Energy’s site certification. The decision was made after a closed-door meeting.
