Horizon Wind Energy, a subsidiary of EDP Renovaveis, applauded the Washington State Supreme Court's unanimous ruling to uphold the Kittitas Valley Wind Power Project's (KVWPP) energy facility site evaluation council (EFSEC) permit previously signed by Gov. Christine Gregoire, D-Wash.
KVWPP will be located northwest of Ellensburg in Kittitas County, Wash. The site was chosen for its abundant wind resources and multiple high-voltage transmission lines. The project is permitted for up to 65 wind turbines and has a proposed installed capacity of approximately 100 MW.
‘Today's unanimous Supreme Court ruling is significant for Horizon Wind Energy and for Washington citizens,’ says Gabriel Alonso, chief operating officer for Horizon Wind Energy. ‘The court, in upholding the authority of the EFSEC, affirms that much-needed power projects that pass the state's rigorous review will be built and that Washington state's goal of developing new renewable energy can truly be achieved.’
In March 2007, Washington's permitting agency, EFSEC, recommended that Gregoire approve KVWPP and exert state authority to override Kittitas County's opposition to the project. The governor's approval confirmed that EFSEC, in conducting its rigorous review of the project, successfully balanced Washington's need for clean and affordable energy with substantive mitigations that address local concerns.
SOURCE: Horizon Wind Energy
