Nov 23 2008
The regional wind power advocacy group WindWorks Northwest joined with Washington environmentalists, consumers, union and business advocates in celebrating today’s Supreme Court decision upholding the authority of the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC).
“The Court’s decision will spur much-needed renewable energy development in our state,” said WindWorks! Field Director, David Stearns. “Six years is much too long and 16,000 pages of records way too much to permit a wind farm,” Stearns emphasized. “It’s a good thing for all of us that Horizon stuck through this odyssey and, with this result, brings this much-needed wind farm on line.”
The Supreme Court dismissed arguments presented by the Kittitas County Commissioners and its Not-In-My-Backyard (NIMBY) allies. In doing so, the Court confirmed the Legislature’s intent in creating EFSEC to balance “demand for new energy facilities with the broad interests of the public.”
The Supreme Court decision paves the way for Horizon Wind Energy to build its long-delayed 110 megawatt Kittitas Valley Wind Power Project straddling U.S. Highway 97 between Cle Elum and Ellensburg. The project will be capable of meeting the electric needs of approximately 30,000 Northwest homes.
“The importance of building wind power in Washington cannot be overstated,” said Stearns. “It requires a careful balance between local interest and the State’s need to ensure that we move forward in a responsible manner.”
WindWorks! Northwest advocates for government approval of well-conceived wind power projects in the Pacific Northwest. WindWorks! counters NIMBY opposition by telling the truth about the effects of wind farms and the economic and environmental benefits they provide.