Vestas responds to turbine concerns

PALOUSE — Harvest Hills Wind Project officials are seeking to communicate with residents on the proposed construction of wind turbines near Kamiak Butte.

Project Developer Shane Roche said the goal is to be responsible and work with landowners, and the rest of the community.

Roche said that Steelhead Americas has released its finalized Economic Impact Study showing the details of economic impacts that the project is projected to have on Whitman County.

The report has four effects the project is expected to have on Whitman County, including spending during construction, on employment and income, fiscal impacts to property and sales tax revenue, the potential impacts to the agricultural economy and potential impacts to the value of adjacent property.

Area residents have shown concern regarding the proposed wind turbine project being located near Kamiak Butte.

“We lease a large area for land, we only use 1% of it or less,” Roche said, adding that they have to have separation between turbines, and that the actual land impacted is less than 1% than the actual land used.

Roche said that each turbine will only have a quarter acre, and they are proposing 45 turbines. “That’s about twelve, 13 acres that will actually be impacted,” he said, adding that they see this as a compatible land use with farming. “It allows the farmers to have an additional steady income with no impact to their land.”

“Each turbine produces over twice as much energy than the existing project,” Roche said of Palouse Wind Farm located near Oakesdale. “We do have to space out a lot further. In comparison our project will be much further spaced apart,” he said.

Roche said that the company has no powers to enforce any kind of imminent domain, and that landowners signing up is a hundred percent voluntary.

“We’re here to be partners with the community,” Roche said, adding that Steelhead Americas is the development arm of Vestas. Steelhead Americas is a subsidiary of Vestas of Denmark.

Roche said there will be Vestas technicians living in the community, “We’re committed to be good partners,” he said, noting that they’ll be here for the lifetime of the project, which he projects would be five to seven years.

“We are kind of finishing up our land doing all the work required to meet all that’s required in the ordinance,” Roche said, adding that they have to satisfy the ordinance to apply.

Project developers expect to start applications in 2025, and their goal is to have permits for construction in 2026, which he estimates will take a year.

Addressing concerns about lifespan of turbines, Roche said that the turbines have a lifespan of 30 years, and that 85 percent of turbines have always been recyclable, except for the fiberglass blades.

“We take them down, and they go to our recycling facility,” he said, noting that one of the main off takers is cement. Roche said they fully break down the fiberglass, and old turbines go into new turbines.

Regarding concerns of where the generated power is going, Roche said that the physical electrons are going onto Avista lines, and that they are working with Avista to contract.

“Right now energy loads are being met with current capacities,” Roche said, adding that energy demand is estimated to only rise. He said his goal is to make the area, and Washington, energy independent.

Roche said that the company predicts the project will generate $80 million of tax revenue, with 450 jobs during construction. “We’re also working with the community in aspects not related to wind,” he said, adding that they have awarded Rose Creek Preserve as their first Impact Program recipient. “This is open to anyone to apply to through our website through HarvestHillsWindFarm.com.

Roche said that the full report on economic impact study can be found on on the website.

“Feel free to reach out to our website,” Roche said to the community, “We’re excited to be in the community and to make sure this is for the community.”