Scout Clean Energy: Renewable energy on the horizon
Scout Clean Energy has been working to develop a wind energy project in Benton County, and this year is anticipated to reach important milestones for permitting and construction. The Horse Heaven Wind Farm project will be just south of the Tri-Cities and would bring up to 600 megawatts (MW) of wind energy to the Tri-City region and Washington state.
Scout Clean Energy is a utility-scale wind energy developer based in Boulder, Colo. Formed in 2016, our team has an extensive track record developing large-scale wind projects. The most recent, the Persimmon Creek Wind Farm in Woodward County, Okla., began operations in December 2018 and the Ranchero Wind Farm in Crockett County, Texas, began operations in October 2019.
In 2019, the state enacted a law that commits Washington to an electricity supply free of greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Utilities across the state seek to use renewable energy for their electricity needs, and businesses are also increasing their commitment to renewable power.
Horse Heaven will harness the Horse Heaven wind
Project development began in late-2016 in the form of leasing, land acquisition and environmental surveys, which were conducted by both Scout Clean Energy and wpd, a Portland, Ore., wind energy developer that previously held lease agreements in Benton County. Scout has acquired wpd’s assets in the area, and the two previously planned projects are now combined under Scout Clean Energy.
The Horse Heaven Wind Farm will consist of up to 212 GE turbines and produce enough electricity to power about 140,000 homes with clean, renewable energy — while also generating local tax revenue and employment opportunities. The project will create approximately 300 temporary construction jobs and 12-16 long-term, family-wage positions once the facility begins operation. The property tax revenue over the life of the project for one 250 MW facility are estimated at $26.9 million dollars, and under current allocations, the largest proportion of those funds would support local schools.
To date, the company has substantial acreage south of the Tri-Cities under wind energy lease and easement with landowners who are participating in the development. The project area consists primarily of private, cultivated agricultural land. Each turbine and associated access roads removes approximately one-half acre from agricultural production.
The project has completed multiple studies to determine biological, aesthetic and cultural impacts, including a three-year avian study that concluded the project would pose a low risk to avian species relative to other wind energy projects in the Pacific Northwest. Horse Heaven would be located near the Nine Canyon Wind Project, which has been operational since 2002. A post-construction two-year study as well as operational monitoring of that facility have also demonstrated low project impact to common avian and bat species.
Looking Ahead
The project intends to enter a conditional use permit process with Benton County in 2020, with a submittal of application forthcoming. The Benton County Conditional Use Permit process incorporates a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) environmental review process to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the proposal. In addition to local agencies, our due diligence process includes coordinating with state and federal agencies including the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as well as local stakeholders. The Horse Heaven Wind Farm is currently planning for an initial construction start in the fourth quarter of 2020, with an estimated commercial operations date in the fourth quarter of 2021.
For questions about the project, or to learn how you can support the Horse Heaven Wind Farm, please contact Javon Smith at Javon@scoutcleanenergy.com or 509.490.4892.
This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Scout Clean Energy: Renewable energy on the horizon."