Deal signed for ‘largest clean energy project in WA history.’ Opponents race to stop it

Scout Clean Energy has taken a major step toward building a controversial wind farm along the Horse Heaven Hills south of Kennewick.

Scout, which is owned by a Canadian investment firm, announced Thursday it signed the site certification agreement for the Horse Heaven Clean Energy Center issued by the Washington Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC).

Gov. Jay Inslee approved the project and signed the agreement in October.

The company plans to build possibly hundreds of wind turbines along a 24-mile stretch of the Horse Heaven Hills south of Kennewick. The exact number is not yet set based on some restrictions laid out in the deal.

Scout said signing the agreement will allow it to “continue moving forward toward construction of the largest clean energy project in Washington state history.”

Scout Clean Energy praised Inslee’s leadership in a news release announcing it signed the agreement.

“This project represents a major step forward in the state’s clean energy transition, bringing sustainable power and economic benefits to communities throughout Washington,” said Michael Rucker, founder and CEO of Scout in the release. “We thank EFSEC for its work, Governor Inslee for his leadership, and look forward to breaking ground and making this vision a reality.”

The move comes as opponents to the project in the Tri-Cities prepare to appeal Inslee’s decision.

On Tuesday, Benton County commissioners voted unanimously to join Tri-Cities CARES, a nonprofit, to appeal the industrialization of the skyline south of the Tri-Cities.

EFSEC initially called for significant reductions to protect endangered ferruginous hawks and sensitive cultural areas, but Inslee sent its recommendation back. He told EFSEC to prioritize the state’s pressing need for clean energy and reduce restrictions.

Scout had proposed installing either up to 222 turbines about 500 feet tall or 147 turbines that are 670 feet tall, plus solar arrays and battery energy storage.

The approved plan contains restrictions that could affect 50 of the 222 shorter turbines or 34 of the taller ones, depending on which plan Scout Clean Energy pursues.

The number of turbines also will depend on whether Scout can find other spaces for turbines it planned in areas that EFSEC restricted in its second proposal to the governor and determinations yet to be made about whether some areas historically used by ferruginous hawks are no longer viable and could be used for turbines.

The initial proposal boasted a capacity of up to 1,150 megawatts from a combination of wind, solar and battery energy storage.

Lawsuits must be filed by Dec. 2 in Thurston County Superior Court before they can be heard by the Washington Supreme Court. The Yakama Nation also is eligible to appeal but has not announced whether it will.

Scout says the construction project will support 1,000 jobs and that the project will contribute more than $250 million in local taxes over its 35-year lifespan. The wind farm will be built with union labor following a 2022 agreement with Tri-Cities unions.

Scout initially expected to secure regulatory approval through Benton County, but switched course to use the state process through the EFSEC council.

More than 40 people signed up to comment on the project when Benton County held a town hall meeting on the project, with 80% speaking in opposition to the full proposal.

Scout Clean Energy calls itself a national utility-scale renewable energy developer, owner and operator. It is based in Boulder, Colo., but is owned by Brookfield Asset Management of Canada.