Group opposes wind farm idea

An Oregon energy company has unveiled controversial plans to build a wind farm near Kamiak Butte.

The project has caught the eye of many rural Whitman County residents who are against the venture.

Steelhead Americas softly launched the Harvest Hills Wind Project online in October 2023. It began to draw local attention when three test towers were installed on farmland east of Colfax at the beginning of this year.

The company is part of a much larger Portland, Ore., corporation called Vestas-American Wind Technology, which is the market leader in the North American wind industry, according to its website.

Its goal is to install 45 wind turbines east of Colfax to generate an estimated 200 megawatts of clean energy, or power about 90,000 homes. The $300 million project would generate $40 million in tax revenue for Whitman County in its 30-year lifespan, according to its website.

Steelhead Americas also reports it would create 250 construction jobs, along with 30 long-term jobs to maintain the wind farm. It plans to become operational by 2026, according to its website.

The project is still in its developmental phase. Whitman County Planner Alan Thomson said the company is performing research, which takes a bit of time.

Most of the land near Kamiak Butte is privately owned, Thomson said the company would have to lease land for the wind farm. Steelhead Americas has started contacting landowners near the local landmark to sign leases for windmills on their property.

Thomson said the wind farm is allowable under Whitman County code. He added the company hasn’t submitted applications or permits for the proposed project.

The project would need to have approval from the Washington State Environmental Policy Act and from Whitman County, which plans a public comment period, Thomson said.

Dan Lenssen, a Colfax area resident, said if the project happens his property would have wind turbines on both sides. It would affect his neighbors as well.

He created the Facebook page “Stop Kamiak Butte Industrial Wind Project,” after Steelhead Americas released plans online. The group, created a little more than six months ago, has gathered more than 1,000 members, Lenssen said.

Lenssen added he’s known about the project for some time now, and wanted to raise awareness when he saw test towers pop up along Enos, James and Parvin roads earlier this year.

He and a group of concerned residents hosted a meeting last Wednesday, drawing more than 100 people, to provide information on the project.

“It was our first and we didn’t expect that amount of turnout,” he said. “Quite a few didn’t know this was (potentially) happening until last week.”

The crowd disapproved of the project for a variety of reasons, Lenssen said. Many don’t want windmills crowding Kamiak Butte’s scenic view, and don’t want the industrial wind farm to take up farmland. Others questioned why the company was keeping the project on the “down-low” by only announcing plans online.

“We live on the best farmland in the nation,” he said. “Once we start giving up that land, it’s something you can’t ever get back. It’s becoming a point where you have to push back and keep something as close to natural as you can.”

He added the turbines are rumored to be much larger than other windmills around Whitman County, like those in Oakesdale.

“It’s likely you’ll be able to see them from the high points in Pullman,” he said.

The group also created a petition “Project Kamiak Butte: Stop the Harvest Hills Wind Project!” on Friday that has garnered about 350 signatures.

Lenssen said the group is “at the least” calling for more restrictions on the proposed wind farm. He added there should be changes to how close windmills can be to residences in rural Whitman County.

“We just don’t want it in our backyards,” Lenssen said.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com