Horizon gets OK for Washington state wind farm

Houston-based Horizon Wind Energy said yesterday that it received approval from Governor Christine Gregoire for its Kittitas Valley Wind Power Project in Washington state.

The project will have up to 65 wind turbines producing 130 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 32,500 Pacific Northwest homes.

The company already received a recommendation for approval for the $235 million project in March from the state's Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, which proposed that the governor exert state authority to override opposition from the Kittitas County Board.

"The governor's decision confirms that EFSEC, in conducting its rigorous review of the Project, successfully balanced Washington's need for clean and affordable energy with substantive mitigations that address local concerns," said Michael Skelly, Horizon's chief development director.

Horizon said that under the council's site certification agreement it reduced the number of turbines at the project by nearly half of what it had originally proposed. The company also agreed to site turbines away from existing residences of non-participating landowners.

"All of us who have worked on the Kittitas Valley Project are grateful to the hundreds of Kittitas County citizens who supported it over the years," said Dana Peck, Horizon's project manager.

Horizon, which was acquired by Energias de Portugal in July (see EDP acquires Horizon Wind, forms consortium), has developed more than 1000 megawatts of wind farms in the U.S. and Costa Rica.

The company said its developing a portfolio of more than 9000 megawatts in a dozen states and expects to bring nearly 1000 megawatts online in 2007.