Company provides visuals of wind farms

COLFAX — The company proposing a new wind farm in Whitman County is hoping to soothe the public’s fears that the machines will be an eyesore on the Palouse.

Steelhead Americas hosted public information sessions Thursday and Friday at the Whitman County Library in Colfax regarding the Harvest Hills Wind Project. The company displayed digitally rendered images that show what the windmills will look like from different vantage points on the Palouse.

Steelhead Americas, an Oregon-based energy company, wants to build 45 turbines on private land west of Kamiak Butte and south of Washington State Route 272.

The company says the $300 million project would generate 200 megawatts of clean energy, produce $40 million in tax revenue for Whitman County during its 30-year lifespan, and create 250 construction jobs and 30 long-term jobs.

The project has drawn numerous critics. One of the main concerns of those who oppose the project is how it will affect the view from Kamiak Butte.

Shane Roche, the Harvest Hills project developer, told the Daily News on Thursday that Steelhead Americas worked with a contractor to create visuals of the turbines. The images include views from Kamiak Butte, Steptoe Butte and the top of the Washington State University campus.

Roche said these images should give the public “a realistic concept of what our project will look like.”

Roche said Steelhead Americas chose this land for the project because of its potential to produce electricity, its access to transmission lines and the landowners’ willingness to allow turbines on their land.

“We are close to finalizing all of our land agreements now,” he said.

On July 1, the Whitman County Commissioners decided not to execute a moratorium to prohibit the company from applying for a conditional use application.

Roche said Steelhead Americas is working to meet all of the county’s requirements and collect data to submit the application. He said the goal is to submit it in early 2025.

Roche said the public will be allowed to comment on the application, and the company will be required to host public meetings about the project.

Roche said there is a “long list” of concerns from community members. He said the digital images of the turbines are Steelhead Americas’ first step in trying to increase transparency.

“We’re just trying to show that we’re listening, we care and are transparent for what our project is,” he said.

The public has also expressed fears that the project will disturb agricultural land, disrupt farming, become a fire hazard, and be harmful to birds and wildlife.

Save the Palouse, a local nonprofit, is among the most vocal opponents of the Harvest Hills Wind Project. It held an informational meeting in June in Pullman where more than 100 people attended.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.