What We Are About
The Horse Heaven Hills wind farm project planned by Scout Clean Energy would stretch along 29 miles of ridgeline from south of the Tri-Cities in Finley to Benton City to the north. As many as 244 wind turbines would be placed in up to 6 rows, each turbine from 500 to 671 tall. In addition, the latest plans include three huge solar farms, battery storage facility, and transmission lines. We oppose such large-scale projects that alter our skyline and our outdoor quality of life. “The thought of turning our beloved Horse Heaven Hills into a pin cushion for massive wind turbines breaks the hearts of most Tri-Citians” (Tri-City Herald editorial from 3/21/2021).
Our vision is to preserve the ridges and hills in the Columbia and Yakima Valley to maintain the panoramic views for the enjoyment of all.
Wind farms have a place in the renewable energy effort to replace fossil fuels and they benefit some farmers but this needs to be balanced by the greater good of the our community.
Headlines
WE SAVED OUR RIDGES !!!!
“Plans for WA’s largest wind farm slashed in half” says the Seattle Times. Our four-year fight to prevent giant wind turbines the size of the Seattle Space Needle from spoiling our ridges has paid off. The fight is not over as Scout might appeal to EFSEC or the Governor might reject the EFSEC recommendation; it is not everything we were hoping for but it is a good compromise. The ferrougenous hawk is clearly a winner, and the citizens of the Tri-Cities can also be proud to have “saved our ridges”!! Read the Seattle Times and the Tri-Cities Herald stories in NEWS.
“How an endangered hawk could topple plans for Washington’s largest wind farm” reads the headline in the Seattles Times. Because more than 100 of the turbines, which could stand taller than the Space Needle, might pose a danger to a little-known and endangered species in the Tri-Cities area: the ferruginous hawk. Read the story, reprinted in the Tri-City Herald on 2/25/2024 under NEWS.
“It’s just too risky to invest in Washington,” said Michael Rucker, founder and CEO of the project’s developer, Scout Clean Energy. Even if halved, the planned wind farm would still be Washington’s second-largest. So don’t feel sorry for Mr. Rucker who originally presented a project about half the size with 600 MW in his 2020 opinion piece in the Tri-City Herald; see OPINIONS and scroll to the bottom.
Dave Sharp made this comparison of the sweep area of the large turbines preferred by Scout for the HH Project in comparison to the existing turbines used for the Nine Canyon Project in the Finley area; the sweep area of a propeller is about 5 acres! These are monsters!!!
The December 21, 2023 EFSEC meeting provided an early “Christmas present” to the Tri-Cities; Don Jenkins writes in the Capital Press: “Washington council puts Horse Heaven turbines on the chopping block”. More than 100 wind turbines may be eliminated from the proposed Horse Heaven wind and solar project in southeast Washington to lessen damage to hawks, scenic views and tribal cultural resources”. Read his articles under NEWS.
Tri-Cities CARES writes in their newsletter: “Cities CARES counted the number of red turbines – If the Governor approved the EFSEC recommendation, it looks like they cut the project in half. Out of the 231 proposed by the applicant, the EFSEC County will restrict them to 123 plus any removed for aerial firefighting. There was also discussion about removing additional turbines in the central part of the project where there are wildlife corridors.” Read their newsletter under NEWS.
Read the December 13, 2023 update “Deadline approaches for decision on controversial wind farm project” from the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business under NEWS.
The adjudication process has concluded and the parties, the Yakima Nation, Benton County, and CARES gave their final written comments on why they oppose the Scout project.
https://www.efsec.wa.gov/energy-facilities/horse-heaven-wind-project/horse-heaven-adjudication#dexp-accordion-item–10h
While most of the Tri-City residents, our representatives and mayors, the fire-chiefs and irrigation districts, and the Tri-Cities visitor bureau opposed the HH project, our local outdoor groups have been quiet about the giant windfarm project on our ridge lines. They should be asked: – Did Friends of Badger Mountain accept $ 25,000 in return for not opposing this industrial-scale project? Clearly, the views from the top of Badger Mountain would be greatly affected. – Did the president of our local Audubon Society accept a consulting job with Scout? Her study came to the conclusion that the HH wind farm would not affect the migrating birds and bats much despite most other scientific studies coming to the opposite conclusion. – Did the Red Mountain AVA Council accept money from Scout with the promise to stay “neutral” about the impact of the wind farm ? The 25 mile project would greatly alter the lovely views of the Horse Heaven Hills from the Red Mountain wineries.
The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) calls the wind farm a “significant un-avoidable visual aspect”; tell that to the homeowners in Badger Canyon and West Kennewick.
The musical gala at the Buckmaster’s Badger Canyon farm on September 9, 2023 was a success with over $ 8000 raised to pay for legal fees. Good music, good wine, inspiring speakers, all with a view of the beautiful Horse Heaven Hills. Thank you very much Barb and Mark for letting us use your lovely farm for this event!
We created a special T-shirt for the event; let us know if you would like one to show your neighbors and friends that you are opposed to the destruction of the HHH (Pam at pam@tricitiescares.org; Cost is $ 25 per shirt, $ 10 goes to support our cause).
“Wind turbines would put Benton City in danger” says Linda Lehman, major of Benton City. The fire of June 13, 2023 was contained by using several aircraft dropping fire retardant on the ridges of the HHH. ” Siting massive turbines on the ridgeline of Horse Heaven Hills directly threatens the safety of the citizens living in Benton City, Kiona and Badger Canyon, and those who may find themselves fighting fires in the vicinity”. Read her comments in the Tri-City Herald under NEWS.
“We are writing to express our concerns about the proposed Horse Heaven Hills Wind/Solar project and adjudication” says a letter to EFSEC signed by State representatives Mark Klicker, Stephanie Barnard, Mary Dye, Bruce Chandler, Joe Schmick, April Connors, Skylder Rude and Matt Boehnke. Read the letter under NEWS.
Physicist John Droz Jr. runs the Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions (AWED), an online resource of information about the impacts of wind energy. It is a good resouce on the impact of large wind-farms and also has legal strategies to fight unscrupulous wind developers.
“Studies Show Wind Farms Raise Temperatures, and Impact Could Become Significant as more are Built”; read the article by journalist Kevin Killough.
Good news from our neighbor, the Yakama Indian Nation: They say “The proposed Horse Heaven wind farm just south of the Tri-Cities would harm traditional cultural properties, says the Yakama Nation. It has filed for status as an intervener in legal proceedings as the state of Washington considers whether to allow the Horse Heaven Clean Energy Center along the ridgeline of the Horse Heaven Hills. See the article by Annette Cary in the TCH from 2/23/2023:
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article272564982.html#storylink=cpy
Rick Dunn is the general manager of the Benton County PUD; he knows about the challenges and economics of running a reliable electric grid. Read his commentary in the Tri-City Herald from 2/5/2023 about his opposition to the HH wind farm under Opinions.
This picture of Mt. Adams taken from our Badger Mountain Park is from a National Park Service website about the Ice Age Trail; at least 20 wind turbines more than 450 ft tall would destroy this iconic image of the volcanoes from Badger and Candy Mountain. Read the DEIS comment “Failure to protect views from Badger Mountain Park” under Opinions.
Picture Credit “Friends of Badger Mountain/Rick Zimmerman”.
Michael Ritter is the Lead Planner for Solar & Wind Energy Development in the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; his comments to EFSEC during the SEPA phase of permitting was: ” We would like to reiterate our comments from our April letter that the project focus only on solar development (no wind energy development)…..This would help preserve the integrity of the Horse Heaven Hills ridge line as the only documented and scientifically-validated east/west ecological corridor supporting native habitats and wildlife in Benton County.” Why is the DEIS only talking of two options: “full build-out” to 1150 MW with 244 turbines or “no action”?
Wind turbines would no longer be allowed have continuously blinking red lights at night under house bill 1173 proposed by new Washington state Rep. April Connors, R-Kennewick. Several states already require Aircraft Detection Lighting Systems for wind turbines that only turn lights on to alert low-flying airplanes as they draw near and then shut off when they have passed. Read the Tri-City Herald story under NEWS.
Gene says ” The magnitude of space to be impacted by wind turbines compared to the space occupied by our metro area. Yikes! It’s bigger than our entire geographic space. Secondly let’s look at the size of the 670 foot turbines compared to the 604 foot Space Needle. Then, see the size of a person compared to the massive turbine.”
“Live in the Tri-Cities? Here’s how many wind turbines you might soon see from your house”. This is the headline from the Tri-City Herald from January 16, 2023. Read Annette Cary’s story under NEWS.How do you make comments to the draft EIS? Here is a link to the Department of Ecology website with some information; in particular look at the section on “Commenting on Environmental Impact Statements”. It’s a checklist of what to focus on and comment on. g
Paul Krupin and Dave Sharp have spent countless hours determining the locations of the individual wind turbines on a topographic map; then they numbered each individual wind turbine. Now we can be specific about which turbines will affect us the most when we communicate with EFSEC. Use the link below or go to the tab Horse Heaven Hills Windfarm project.
The same map copied on top of the wildlife habitat map is available at this link:
https://presari.com/files/media/42/deishabitatmapswithturbinenumbers.pdf
Paul Krupin has made maps for different residential locations showing the numbers and distances to the turbines. Let him know if you would like such a map for your neighborhood so you can comment to EFSEC with specific details how the noise, flicker and visual pollution will affect you. Go to the tab Horse Heaven Hills for more.
Tri-Cities C.A.R.E.S. is a recently formed Washington Nonprofit whose mission ist to support local conservation of wildlife, their ecosystems, and local decision-making to preserve the picturesque natural landscapes that make our communities unique, healthy and beautiful. Tri-Cities CARES is the result of a grassroots effort to challenge the poor siting of the State’s largest wind project spanning 24 miles of the Horse Heaven Hills. That project has had numerous changes in scope, and at this point, there is no clear understanding of what will eventually be built if the project is constructed. Read more about C.A.R.E.S. under NEWS. Important Update: C.A.R.E.S. is now a tax-exempt and can accept tax-free donations!!
https://www.tricitiescares.org/take-action
Our Facebook page is up and running at @SaveOurRidge; Like, follow, and share our posts, and invite your friends to like and follow the page. The link is:
https://m.facebook.com/SaveOurRidgesTC/?tsid=0.1271890715724434&source=result
Get updates on the HHH wind farm project at the EFSEC website:
https://www.efsec.wa.gov/energy-facilities/horse-heaven-wind-project
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The panorama of the Horse Heaven Hills seen from our popular Badger Mountain Trails would never be the same with rows of 500 foot wind turbines on the ridges.
Our Views
Tourism is big business in the Tri-Cities with visitors spending $ 560 million , creating 6370 jobs, and $ 54.5 million in tax revenue in Benton and Franklin County in 2019, according to the Visitor Bureau. Visitors enjoy the sweeping views of our hills and ridges when they visit wineries and play golf in sunny Eastern Washington. The up to 16 jobs and up to $ 2.4 million per year promised by wind farm developer Scout Clean Energy for the Horse Heaven Hills project pale in comparison to that number.
This simulated view of the Horse Heaven Hills skyline as seen from Badger Mountain was used by Scout Clean Energy in their application with the Washington State agency EFSEC. It shows the 25 miles of 650 foot turbine towers up to six rows deep lining the ridges of the Horse Heaven Hills. The hazy sky does not do justice to the changes in the views of the home owners living in Badger Canyon in the foreground. Imagine the views from Badger Mountain with this forest of churning blades and blinking lights; will we be able to see Mountain Rainier? It is easy to predict that this massive industrial-scale project on the horizon will have a negative impact on real estate development, property values, and wine tourism !
They are Giants
Update: they keep getting taller! In their EFSEC application with the State, Scout mentions an Option 2 plan with wind turbines of 657 to 671 feet tall. This is considerably taller than the Seattle Space Needle where the tip of the antennas are at 605 feet.
Sorry, this slide is outdated; the turbine blades are now way above the Space Needle!
Location, Location
The Horse Heaven Wind Farm would span the entire Western horizon of the Tri-Cities from Finley all the way to Benton City.
This map presented by Scout to EFSEC in their permit application shows the proposed locations of the wind turbines. It shows up to 6 rows of the 650 foot turbines on the ridges from Finley to Benton City. Wherever you live in the Tri-Cities and beyond, you will see the giant blades churning on the Western horizon.
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How you can you help preserve our ridges
- Become a committee member: You may have heard or read in local media outlets that the Energy Facilities Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) has determined that this project is consistent and in compliance with county land use plans or zoning ordinances. You might think that it’s a done deal but that is not true. The council still must determine if the proposed site meets the Conditional Use Permit criteria set out in Benton County’s zoning code, or it may require a variance from setback requirements. In addition, the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is scheduled to be released early in August with a 30-day comment period.
Initially, funds were solicited through the Save Our Horse Heaven Hills GoFundMe to develop and distribute information to the general public and gather even more signatures in opposition. Since the land use decision, it is apparent that our grassroots effort must take an environmental approach to fight this travesty. That said, a Washington non-profit called Tri-Cities C.A.R.E.S. (Community Action for Responsible Environmental Stewardship) has been established. The mission is to support local conservation of wildlife, their ecosystems, and local decision-making to preserve the picturesque natural landscapes that make our communities unique, healthy, and beautiful. Click on the link above to receive updates on the legal battle ahead.EIS Review
Send a check payable to:
Tri-Cities CARES
1360 N. Louisiana St. #A-175
Kennewick, WA 99336-7171
Important: We have received 501(c) 3 status and any donations will be tax deductible.
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3. Support Save Our Ridges Community:
We need your help! . We need donations (see link at the bottom of the email)! Please share this email with friends, home owner associations, Facebook, nextdoor, Twitter, and any other local group pages! We need to get the word out! Obtaining funds for a lawyer is our only attempt to stop the wind and solar farm in the hills south of the greater Tri-City area.
Our proposed lawyer suggested that our group becomes nonprofit organization. Unfortunately, a state rewrite of the nonprofit bill was passed, effective January 1, 2022, and the state is backlogged with applications. Because of the timing of the permitting process, we will need funding before we have approvals of our nonprofit. GoFundMe will be used until we have approvals.
With the work of a few dedicated volunteers, and some generous contributions, attention was focused on educating the public to the true nature of this project, gaining support of local community leaders, and challenging the project developer during the comment period. A group of community leaders sent a letter to our governor opposing the project, and our local state representatives attempted to get a bill passed that would put a pause on the project. That bill made it to the governor’s desk, but was vetoed. The donations to present were used for this work. There is very little money left from the original donations.
The next chapter of this story is about to begin. A draft Environmental Impact Statement will be published in June, and a recommendation by EFSEC to the governor for a yes/no decision for the project will occur by the end of the year. The only way to attempt an end to this project is through the legal process. A lawyer has been identified who has a lot of experience fighting such farms.
We estimate we will need to raise between $50,000 to $100,000 for the legal support alone. That sounds insurmountable, but not if we work together. If each of you can contact and solicit contributions from five of your contacts, assuming there are 150 of us, a $50 donation each would generate $45,000. We have many people in the greater Tri-City area with a lot to lose.
Donations will not be tax deductible at this time. Please click on the link to donate to save our ridges and natural resources!
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4. EFSEC will be conducting an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the planned HHH wind farm project; let them know how the giant HHH wind farm will affect you
The Washington State agency reviewing this project, EFSEC, will be conducting an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). At this time, EFSEC is requesting comments on factors that should be considered for the EIS. The EIS will include the elements wildlife/habitat; visual/aesthetics; and land use. Let them know what other factors are important to you, such as property values, environmental health, noise, light and glare, energy and resources, cultural resources, etc. The deadline for comments is June 10, 2021. See “Who is EFSEC” and the website:
https://www.efsec.wa.gov/energy-facilities/horse-heaven-wind-project·
At a minimum, the EIS will include a no action alternative and the applicant’s proposal. EFSEC will determine the full scope of the EIS, including the range of alternatives to be analyzed, at the end of the scoping period after comments are reviewed. Elements of the environment are listed in the SEPA rules (WAC 197-11-444). Not all elements of the environment outlined in WAC 197-11-444 are expected to be included in the study.
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5. Sign an online petition opposing the Horse Heaven Hills wind farm. The link is:
https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/just-say-no-to-the-horse-heaven-wind-farm.html
Please forward this petition to neighbors and friends to sign; we need as many signatures as possible to let EFSEC know that most Tri-City people are not in favor of this giant project destroying our environment. It help to personalize the petition with a comment so EFSEC hears why you oppose this project. Thanks.
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6. Join a group opposing the Horse Heaven Hills wind farm project
To join the group opposing this project and get updates, send an email with name, phone number, and address to:
Our Facebook page is up and running at @SaveOurRidge; Like, follow, and share our posts, and invite your friends to like and follow the page. The link is:
https://m.facebook.com/SaveOurRidgesTC/?tsid=0.1271890715724434&source=result
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7. Hand out flyers to your neighbors and friends
Many folks in the Tri-Cities are not aware that our skyline could permanently change in 2021. We made copies of the poster below for distribution. Feel free to make more copies or let us know if you want a large number for distribution (go to Contact Us).
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8. Let the local counselors know we don’t want the wind farm on our ridges
Let the local counselors know that the HHH wind farm project is not in the interests of the Tri-City citizens and will adversely affect our economy like tourism and real estate for many years to come. Approval of the project is with the the State agency EFSEC and governor Inslee but our local counsels need to speak up before it is too late. The Kennewick city counsel voted 5 to 2 to oppose the HHH wind farm project. The Richland mayor, Ryan Lukson, also wrote a letter to EFSEC opposing this project. Benton City and Prosser are also are affected by this giant operation on our skyline and need to let Olympia know that we don’t want EFSEC to approve this project.
City of Richland, WA
- Michael Alvarez, Mayor malvarez@CI.RICHLAND.WA.US (He will be county commissioner in January 2023)
- Jhoanna Jones jjones@ci.richland.wa.us
- Theresa Richardson trichardson@ci.richland.wa.us
- Ryan Lukson rlukson@ci.richland.wa.us
- Shayne VanDyke svandyke@ci.richland.wa.us
- City Council Open Position.
| Kennewick | Counsel Member | Gretl Crawford | Gretl.crawford@cl.kennewick.wa.us | |
| Counsel Member | Loren Anderson | loren.anderson@cl.kennewick.wa.us | ||
| Counsel Member | Brad Beauchamp | brad.beauchamp@ci.kennewick.wa.us | 509-308-6556 | |
| Counsel Member | Jim Millbauer | jim.millbauer@ci.kennewick.wa.us | 509-820-2349 | |
| Counsel Member | Charles Torelli | Chuck.Torelli@ci.kennewick.wa.us | 509-405-2156 | |
| Counsel Member | John Trumbo | John.Trumbo@ci.kennewick.wa.us | 509-366-2241 | |
| Mayor | Bill McKay | Bill.McKay@ci.kennewick.wa.us | 509-460-9278 |
| Benton City | Mayor | Linda Lehrman | llehman@ci.benton-city.wa.us | |
| Mayor-pro tem | Jake Mokler | jmokler@ci.benton-city.wa.us | ||
| Counsel Member | Jessica Bosse Wadsworth | ljwadsworth@ci.benton-city.wa.us | ||
| Counsel Member | William Reed | wreed@ci.benton-city.wa.us | ||
| Counsel Member | David Sandretto | dsandretto@ci.benton-city.wa.us | ||
| Counsel Member | Sarah Funk | sfunk@ci.benton-city.wa.us |
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9. Talk to your state representatives
Let your state representatives know we don’t want this giant wind farm on our ridges:
Senator Perry Dozier Perry.Dozier@leg.wa.gov 360-786-7630
Rep. Brad Klippert: brad.klippert@leg.wa.gov. 509-317-8471
Those who represent the Clodfelter area are District 16 and their representatives listed below:S
Rep. Mark Klicker Mark.Klicker@leg.wa.gov 360-786-7836
Rep. Skyler Rude at Skyler.rude@leg.wa.gov. 360-786-7828
Governor Inslee can only be emailed through a form on his web site at www.governor.wa.gov/contact
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10. Contact the Benton County Commissioners
The Benton County Commissioners voted against this project. Please let them know we approve of their vote and congratulate them:
Jerome Delvin, District 1: Jerome.Delvin@co.benton.wa.us
Shon Small, District 2: Shon.Small@co.benton.wa.us
Will McKay, District 3: Will.McKay@co.benton.wa.us
email Commissioners@co.benton.wa.us
Call 509-736-3080 or 509-786-5600
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11. Contact Benton County PUD
Benton County PUD has opposed this wind farm project with their position paper; see “Benton PUD Perspective”. Tell them we agree and we congratulate them for their position paper. Contact these commissioners and tell them we agree that we don’t want additional wind farms on our ridges.
Jeff Hall, Commissioner District 2, jhall@bentonpud.org;
Lori Sanders, Commissioner District 1, lsanders@bentonpud.org;
Barry Bush, Commissioner District 3, bbush@bentonpud.org;
Rick Dunn, General Manager, Benton County PUD
Steve Hunter, Assistant General Manager, Benton County PUD
Jodi Henderson, Communications Manager, Benton County PUD
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12. Let Energy Northwest know we don’t want unreliable wind farms
Tell Energy Northwest we don’t need additional wind farms on our ridges and hills; we are awash in our region with electrical energy, most of it is renewable from clean hydropower. You built the ridge-destroying Nine Mile wind farm above Finley and we don’t like it. Please pick a better site next time for such a project!
Carla Martinez, 509-372-5156, Public Affairs Manager,cjmartinez@energy-northwest.com
Greg Cullen, General manager of energy services and development
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13. Tell Bonneville Power: Do not connect the HHH wind farm to the grid
Let them know that we don’t want our panoramic landscape marred by additional wind farms. We are happy with the clean hydropower they generate and want to keep it that way! Tell them to stop connecting these landscape-destroying projects to the electricity grid for customers in far away Los Angeles and Seattle. We love our dams and the cheap, clean energy they produce for our region.
Jodi Henderson, Communications Manager
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