OLYMPIA, Wash. – When Governor Jay Inslee (D) signed the Climate Commitment Act in 2021, building new wind farms was one way the state expected to meet its goal of reducing emissions by 95% by 2050. But resistance to wind power is posing a challenge for the governor’s office.
Inslee asked the Washington Energy Facility Siting and Evaluation Council to reconsider certifying the proposed Horse Heaven Wind Farm Project in the Tri-Cities on Thursday after the council flagged concerns with how the farm could impact endangered species.
In his letter to Council Chari Kathleen Drew, Inslee cited the Climate Commitment Act and argued that the site was necessary for the state to meet its legally mandated greenhouse gas reduction goals.
“Based on my review of the record it is clear that with narrowly tailored mitigation, impacts to wildlife and habitat can be adequately mitigated…The Council should reconsider, however, certain mitigation measures that are overbroad,” Inslee said.
According to The Spokesman Review, the proposal has caused tension between Inslee’s office and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation due to the project’s potential impact on Horse Heaven Hills.
It isn’t the only wind project in the Evergreen State currently experiencing political pressure. A proposed wind project in Whitman County has drawn the ire of some residents who argue it would disrupt the rural nature of the community.
“We’re gonna suddenly lose that with the littering of these towering beasts across our region,” resident Sunni Freyer said.
While the US Energy Information Administration says that wind is one of the most effective renewable energy sources, central and eastern Washington projects seem to be receiving blowback.
Given that the Climate Commitment Act is a key part of Inslee’s political legacy as he prepares to leave office, he has spent the past several months working to shore-up his climate credentials.
Whether he will be able to get the Horse Heaven and Whitman projects moving remains to be seen, but it is clear that the implementation of the Climate Commitment Act will faces strong headwinds.
