Wind farm hearing should be in Tri-Cities, with Horse Heaven Hills in the background | Opinion

With the Tri-Cities landscape at stake, the least state officials could do is hold their public hearing on the wind turbine debate in person and in our community.

But no — today’s public hearing will be held virtually.

And while we are fans of virtual government meetings when they give more people a chance to participate in the process, this is different.

The majority of people who want to weigh in on the proposed Horse Heaven Hills wind farm live in the Mid-Columbia, so attending an in-person meeting in their own community is not a great hardship.

In addition, we think members of the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) should see for themselves the vistas that are now under their power.

Verbal descriptions, photos and videos of our vast, surrounding hills don’t do the real thing justice. They just don’t.

And if EFSEC members want to show the Tri-Cities they truly understand why so many citizens are upset by the proposal to pock nature’s hills with man-made structures, they should have the courage to show up in person.

Otherwise, this virtual public hearing could be seen as just a way for bureaucrats to check a box in the process.

What’s more concerning is that local energy experts are saying the proposed wind farm won’t make much difference when it comes to providing clean energy in Washington state.

On the surface, placing more wind turbines in Eastern Washington might make some government leaders feel good about adding another clean energy source in the region.

But the reality is that the wind turbines won’t be displacing dirty energy sources like coal. Instead, they will be competing with clean, renewable, reliable hydropower.

And while there are people who like to think part-time wind and solar power can easily replace hydropower, that idea is not supported by most experts who actually work in the power industry.

A recent study organized by Northwest utilities has confirmed that Washington state is not an ideal location for wind projects. Wind does not blow continuously here. When it’s really cold and when it’s really hot, it doesn’t blow at all.

And that’s when power is needed the most.

We know there is money to be made on this project, and that this is dividing the community. The farmers who will lease their land stand to benefit greatly, and the unions want the construction jobs.

If EFSEC members really want to hear the community out, they should visit the site and then hold a public hearing the same day — perhaps after they’ve toured a Mid-Columbia winery, sat on a deck and taken in the view.

Such an effort would go a long way in helping Tri-Citians feel better about the process.

After all, Scout Clean Energy — the company behind the project — did an end-run around county officials and went straight to the state in order to get its permits through.

Part of the concern is the sheer scope of the wind farm proposal. Scout wants to line 110 square miles of the Horse Heaven Hills with wind turbines from Finley to Benton City.

The turbines will be about 500 feet tall, unless Scout opts to go with fewer but taller turbines and then some would be taller than the Seattle Space Needle.

They will be visible from downtown Richland, and they will line the main Interstate 82 entrance to Kennewick.

Our community is considered an energy hub in the state. Gov. Jay Inslee recently announced his support for placing Washington State University Tri-Cities at the center of his clean energy initiative. He’s seeking funding to add scientists to the new program — WSU Tri-Cities Institute for Northwest Energy Futures.

The Tri-Cities is also home to the Northwest’s only commercial nuclear power plant — the Columbia Generating Station operated by Energy Northwest. The Nine Canyon Wind Project is just south of Kennewick.

Obviously, Tri-Citians are not against clean energy projects in general. We just don’t like the idea of our rural landscape being sacrificed on such a grand scale — especially for a wind system that energy experts say is not particularly efficient.

Again, EFSEC members should hold a public hearing in the Tri-Cities and see what’s at stake with their own eyes. Let’s hope that might still be arranged.

The virtual public hearing is today, Feb. 1, at 5 p.m. online and you must sign up ahead of time. Notify EFSEC by phone at 360-664-1345 or email at efsec@efsec.wa.gov as soon as you can.