Insle chose politics over science, undermining Eastern Washington’s fair compromise

By prioritizing wind turbines over the people, cultural heritage and natural habitats that will be harmed next to the giant Horse Heaven Hills wind farm, Gov. Jay Inslee has placed politics over science and undermined fair compromise.

Scout Clean Energy, the Colorado-based company behind the Horse Heaven Hills wind farm, has proposed building more than 200 turbines about 500 feet tall, or 141 turbines about 700 feet tall, on the 20 miles of mountain range south of the Tri-Cities.

The company spent years in the Washington State Energy Facilities Assessment Board (EFSEC) approval process.

Washington certainly needs clean energy projects like this. Inslee estimates this plant will only provide 5% of the state’s electricity needs over the next decade. If the Biden administration, with Inslee’s vague approval, tears down the hydroelectric dams, the hole will be even deeper.

But tackling climate change and moving away from dirty fuel sources must be done intentionally. There are good places and bad places, and Horse Heaven Hills is the latter, at least on the scale Scout originally proposed.

The turbines would distort local views of the Tri-Cities, disrupt Native American cultural resources and harm the natural habitats of many species, including the endangered ferruginous hawk.

EFSEC spent years studying the proposals and listening to all sides. The governor was advised to limit the project to about half of the original number of turbines. It was a reasonable compromise. Washington would gain clean energy and the worst damage would be mitigated.

It wasn’t enough for Inslee. He sent the project back to EFSEC with clear directions for the council to change course and approve almost all the turbines. As he prepares to leave office, he is less interested in rational analysis and science than in his green legacy.

“Based on my review of the history and potential impacts, mitigation measures that significantly reduce the generating capacity of the proposed project should not be required,” Inslee wrote.

Let that sink in. By the governor’s estimates, clean electricity generation outperforms everything else. This kind of harsh and inflexible view serves Washington badly.

Insle had been preparing the groundwork for such a decision for years. In 2022, he vetoed part of a bill that would have given eastern Washington residents more influence over the direction of wind and solar project development. He also vetoed provisions in the bill that would have required the state to take into account that rural communities are suffering from the imposition of large-scale projects not for their own benefit but to satisfy power-hungry urban areas west of the mountains.

It’s no coincidence that these urban areas are home to a Democratic majority that controls state politics and often doesn’t think much about the rest of the state.

In his letter to EFSEC, Inslee claims, “Wind turbines are a fairly common occurrence across the state.” The same applies to the eastern part of the state. The Horse Heaven Hills project would be so vast that it would cover all of Seattle, from Shoreline to Kent, but Seattleites can’t see the turbines.

Critics from Seattle and Olympia like to throw rhetorical grenades at the Tri-City, calling anyone who questions the validity of building the Horse Heaven Hills wind farm a NIMBY (not in my backyard).

But it’s hard to take them seriously when they don’t also call for turbines to be built in Puget Sound or in the nearby hills. If they partnered with the region, knowledgeable local residents could help identify many suitable wind farm sites that would not harm viewing shelters, cultural resources and natural habitats.

EFSEC exists to remove some of the NIMBYism from the localization process, but what’s the point if it conducts a thorough assessment, engages with the community, and listens to experts, and the governor categorically rejects its recommendations?

EFSEC has 90 days to return the revised recommendation to the Governor.

Instead of bowing to his demands, he should send a strong signal that, in many words, says: “No, we got it right the first time. Local communities, cultural heritage and wildlife continue to matter in Washington.”