Wind farm takes step as agency begins to review whether to OK plans in eastern Shasta Co.

David Benda and Damon Arthur, Redding Record Searchlight
Updated ·2 min read

The state has deemed complete the application for a controversial wind energy generation farm project proposed for eastern Shasta County.

That means the California Energy Commission now has 270 days to further review the project and issue a decision on whether to approve plans for the turbines.

The approval process is expected to include public meetings in Shasta County.

In an Oct. 30 letter to Henry Woltag of Fountain Wind LLC, California Energy Commission Executive Director Drew Bohan stated that the application “complies with Public Resources Code section 25545.2 and therefore is complete.”

But Bohan writes that just because the application is complete doesn’t mean the project will be approved and the California Energy Commission will continue to gather information.

“CEC staff will review the application, consider other independently derived information, prepare a staff assessment that includes an environmental impact report, and prepare a recommendation on whether to approve or deny the proposed project for consideration at a business meeting,” the letter goes on to say.

It’s been more than two years since the project was rejected by the county planning commission, and then the Board of Supervisors.

A view to the southwest from Cassel Road, east of Highway 89 and Hat Creek. Burney Mountain is visible in the left side of the view. The project would be 12 miles away from this location, according to a Fountain Wind consultant.
A view to the southwest from Cassel Road, east of Highway 89 and Hat Creek. Burney Mountain is visible in the left side of the view. The project would be 12 miles away from this location, according to a Fountain Wind consultant.

However, new legislation, AB 205, that took effect in the summer of 2022 allows the California Energy Commission to consider approving the project. That means the state could overrule Shasta County and approve the Fountain Wind project.

Shasta County officials contend that after years of debate, planning and long public meetings, the Fountain Wind project planned for eastern Shasta County was resolved when supervisors rejected it. And what the developer is attempting to do now is circumvent local control, with the help of the state.

The Fountain Wind project would be west of the Hatchet Ridge wind farm, which consists of 44 turbines near Burney.

More: Shasta County's opposition to a revived Fountain Wind project gets a new ally

Texas-based ConnectGen wants to build up to 48 wind turbines on 4,500 acres in the Montgomery Creek-Round Mountain area, which is about 35 miles east of Redding. According to the company's website, the turbines would have the capacity to generate about 200 megawatts, enough potential to power about 80,000 homes.

The project has faced stiff opposition from county residents who claim the wind generators would hamper firefighting efforts in an area of high fire danger potential. The turbines would also be unsightly and would disrupt burial sites sacred to the Pit River Tribe, according to county officials and comments at public meetings.

The county plans to roll out a media campaign against the project over the next year.

The county plans to spend up to $100,000 on creating a website, sending out direct mail ads, creating video and radio ads and developing a media kit to inform the public about what the county considers the negative effects of the proposed Fountain Wind energy generation facility.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: California Energy Commission says Fountain Wind application complete