WHITMAN COUNTY, Wash. – Residents in Whitman County are fighting against the proposed Harvest Hills Wind Project, a plan to build 45 new windmills near Kamiak Butte in Whitman County.
Steelhead Americas, which is run by the world’s largest wind turbine company Vestas, has already leased out some land from local landowners, but are still seeking more lease agreements before they apply to get their permits approved.
The organization states that the project will bring 430 new temporary construction jobs, five new permanent jobs and $80 million in Whitman County tax revenue over the 30-year lifespan of the project.
“We’re a benefit to the community because we support our farmers and ensure that they have some steady-state reliable income to make sure that their farms stay in their families,” Development Manager Shane Roach said. “We’re here to be reliable community partners and we’re working to make the relationships now to ensure we can be the best community partners we can be.”
Some Whitman County residents aren’t fond of the idea. An online petition has over 1,300 signatures, while an accompanying Facebook group has over 1,500 members. Their message is clear, they don’t want any more windmills on the Palouse.
“There are people here that are going to be hurt,” Whitman County resident Sunni Freyer said. “[They] came into this area with an expectation of having a rural life that has a pastoral setting that is peaceful. We’re gonna suddenly lose that with the littering of these towering beasts across our region.”
Vestas hopes to have the permitting process done by the end of the year to get the project fully operational in 2026.
