WA governor approves wind project, overruling local opposition
From a story by Warren Cornwall in The Seattle Times:
Citing the growing importance of clean energy, Gov. Christine Gregoire on Tuesday took the unprecedented step of overruling local opposition to a wind-power project near Ellensburg.
Gregoire’s decision to allow the Kittitas Valley Wind Power project means as many as 65 towering wind turbines could line hillsides northwest of Ellensburg, despite a vote against the project by the Kittitas County Board of Commissioners.
The case was closely watched by environmentalists, energy companies and local governments as a sign of whether wind projects near populated areas would be allowed in Washington, and whether the state would flex its muscles to force a project past local objections.
“The concern was renewable-energy developers would just throw up their hands and say, ‘Washington is making it tough.’ Thankfully, this long saga appears to be at an end,” said Marc Krasnowsky, spokesman for the environmental group NW Energy Coalition.
Local opposition also continues to plague Wisconsin developments, such as the project in the Town of Stockbridge.
