Washington Governor Jay Inslee has greenlit a large-scale wind farm project after previously dismissing a reduced version. The Horse Heaven Wind Farm, estimated to cost $1.7 billion, initially envisioned 222 wind turbines across 24 miles in eastern Washington's hilly Tri-Cities area. Inslee emphasized the importance of swift permit authorizations to meet the state's "urgent clean energy needs."
The project initially faced a reduction proposal from the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council due to concerns over endangered ferruginous hawk nests in the area. The council suggested halving the project and implementing a 2-mile buffer zone around the nests. Inslee shot down their proposal, leading to a compromise. Now, there will be a case-specific examination of turbines and nests, with possible reduction of nest setbacks to 0.6 miles. With this alternative plan, only 30 turbines could be in question.
Governor Inslee, who announced he won't seek reelection, continues to push climate initiatives as part of his legacy. The project, first proposed in 2021, symbolizes the tug-of-war between ecological preservation and sustainable energy commitments. Inslee has highlighted the urgency, noting Washington's energy demand could rise steeply by 2050. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)