Seattle Dem mocks Tri-Cities in wind farm tweet. Eastern WA deserves better | Editorial

Tri-Cities’ opposition to the Horse Heaven Wind Farm recently caught the attention of a Seattle Democrat who went on Twitter to ridicule the community, highlighting an urban attitude that rankles those of us living in Eastern Washington.

The tweet by Derek Richards, president of Young Democrats of Washington, said, “Republicans against the Wind Farm say they don’t want the high paying jobs in their community because of the ‘visual pollution’ the wind farm would cause. Here is a visual of the area in question.”

He included a photo of a Tri-City agricultural field, with homes dotting the base of rolling hills in the background — apparently mocking anyone who would see beauty in the scene.

He also went on to say that: “The best part is there are miles and miles of that view all over the place in that part of the state. So one windfarm will not deprive you of being able to enjoy views like that.”

There you have it.

Eastern Washington doesn’t matter. The view is the same everywhere — and there is so much of it — what’s wrong with cluttering some of it up with wind turbines?

And the people who live there? Well, boosting clean energy is more important than what they think — even though they have to live with the decisions made by people who don’t have a stake in the game.

Scout Clean Energy’s plan to put wind turbines the size of the Space Needle along 24 miles of ridgelines south of the Tri-Cities is a piece of a bigger issue for Eastern Washington.

It’s not only about the wind project. It’s also about the ability for a local community to decide for itself what happens to it.

Scout Clean Energy of Colorado has submitted an application for the Horse Heaven Wind Farm to the Washington state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council rather than to Benton County.

That means the council and Gov. Jay Inslee will have the authority to approve the project regardless of what Tri-City officials and residents say. The whole process feels like a way to get around local control, and it’s disappointing.

It’s not like the Tri-Cities is shirking its duty to support clean energy production.

Between nuclear power from the Columbia Generating Station at Hanford, three solar projects, the Nine Canyon Wind Project (yes, we already have one wind farm) and power from Ice Harbor Dam, the Tri-City area alone generates enough power for more than 1 million homes or a city the size of Seattle and much of its metropolitan area.

It’s 100% clean energy and it’s more than our own community requires. That seems like a pretty solid contribution to the state’s goal of reducing carbon emissions.

In addition, 40% of Washington state’s power is produced within a 100-mile radius of the Tri-Cities, according to TRIDEC.

So the idea that people who don’t live in the Tri-Cities will decide whether to approve a wind project that the community doesn’t need and in general does not want is a huge frustration.

Yes, there are property owners who will make good money leasing their land to Scout Clean Energy, and there are union workers who are in favor of the project because it will provide them temporary jobs.

But this is not a win-win situation.

At a recent public hearing in Benton County, most Tri-Citians complained about how ugly wind turbines are, and how they will be an eyesore on the hills. Many worried their property values will decline.

Seeing a tweet from a Seattle Democrat essentially saying the Tri-City area is already ugly so there shouldn’t be a problem only adds to the divisiveness between the two sides of the state.

The state council plans its own public hearing on the Scout Clean Energy plan on Tuesday, March 30. Tri-Citians must participate — if only to emphasize how much they value their community.

There is no doubt some people in the region will come out ahead if the wind farm is approved — and we understand what the project will mean to some hardworking farmers.

Nevertheless, if the wind farm goes through, it’s a safe bet most Tri-Citians will look at them and see a symbol of West Side indifference to Eastern Washington.

What a shame, to have that kind of visual reminder of disregard from one side of the state to the other.

This story was originally published March 26, 2021 at 2:22 PM.