Since 2021, local citizens, Benton County and the Yakama Tribal Nation have been fighting tooth and nail to prevent a massive windfarm project that would stretch from Finley to well past the Horse Heaven Hills. Now, the courts are silent.

   Opposition Groups Awaiting Word from State Supreme Court

The 25 mile plus project could include, based on latest proposal from Colorado-based Scout Energy, as many as 116 wind turbines the size of the Space Needle in Seattle.   There have also been hundreds of pages of opposing testimony, ranging from destruction of native plant, bird and animal habitat, to firefighting concerns, and other long-term issues related to the farm.

TC Cares is the group that along with Benton County and the Yakama Nation, has been leading the opposition.

  What Would Happen Now?

October 30th, TC Cares sent out their latest update, indicating while it could take months for a decision to come, they are still  awaiting approval or dismissal of the lawsuit challenging the farm’s approval. Here’s what could happen, according to TC Cares:

“1. Uphold the approval

If the Court affirms the state’s decision, construction could proceed as currently planned. The existing quarter‑mile aerial‑firefighting and ferruginous nest buffers would remain in place. Tribal, county and wildfire‑safety concerns would remain unresolved unless the developer or state voluntarily revises the project. 

2. Remand the case

If the Court sends the case back for corrections, the state must revise specific parts of the approval or redo the documents addressing things like turbine locations, wildfire buffers, cultural protections or excluded evidence — before deciding again. The project could still move forward, but only after EFSEC and the governor resolve the legal issues made in violation of the law.

3. Reverse the approval

If the Court invalidates the approval, the project cannot move forward unless the state restarts the process and corrects the legal and procedural errors. This would ensure that legal violations are addressed before construction begins”

  Option 3 is what’s hoped will happen. For more information and the latest details on the Horse Heaven Hills Windfarm with TC Cares, click here.