Wind Farms in Hood River?

County Commissioners
Vote No

Hood River County Commissioners voted unanimously in their regular Board of Commissioners meeting on May 17, to quit their plans to build a county-owned and -operated industrial wind farm in the heart of Hood River County, Oregon.

They voted on the basis of the results of a recently authorized financial study, which showed far less revenue than originally forecasted, and far more risk.

Had it not been for strong resident opposition to this project, the county may have authorized further work, which would have cost taxpayers more money than what had already been spent. Instead, residents insisted that better data be obtained before the project moved forward. We are pleased that the Commissioners acted on resident input in this regard.

Not Enough Revenue

The county was originally forecasting a cash flow of $350,000 per year in the first 10 years, and a cash flow of anywhere from $328,000 to $440,000 in years 11 - 15. The new study shows that the average revenue for for first fourteen years would be only $113,600 per year.

Note that in the video below, the economic development director reports that the return on investment over the course of the project is little different than the initial assessment that was performed. He fails to fully describe however, the significant difference between what was expected in years one through fourteen.  The new study shows that any meaningful return would not be realized until year 15, which turns out to be too little, too late.

Unacceptable Levels of Risk

In addition to forecasting significantly less cash flow than the previous study, the new study shows extremely high levels of risk.  It assumes, for instance, that the forecasted revenue could only be generated if the following conditions, among others, were met:

• The county would need to contribute $1 million up front for necessary environmental studies, permitting and pre-engineering work
• The wind farm would need to be operational by the end of 2011
• Funding from the Renewable Energy Production Incentive (REPI) program would need to be available
• Tax credits from the Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC) program would also need to be available
• An equity investor would need to be found within the next two years

Risk Factors Assessment

The study did not attempt to anaylze the risk factors it identified, nor did the commissioners discuss those factors. It seems that the potential for only $113,600 per year was enough to dissuade them from continuing.

However, it should be noted that it would be just about impossible for the county to construct a wind farm by the end of 2011. Given the strict siting requirements associated with the EFSC (Environmental Facility Siting Council) process, it would likely take until the end of 2011 to get through the application phase, let alone the construction phase.

Likewise, it would be nearly impossible to gain access to any State of Oregon BETC funding, as the BETC program sunsets in 2012. 

(See corresponding links to reports in the box to the right.)

History of the Middle Mt. Wind Farm Project

The wind farm would have been located along a ridge near the top of Middle Mountain (also known as Gilhouly), which sits in the center of Hood River, and which would be seen for miles in all directions. It would even have been seen from areas in Washington, including Underwood and White Salmon.

The county began assessing the feasibility of alternative energy projects at least four years ago. At some point during that time, out of all of the possible alternative energy projects they could have undertaken, the county decided that construction of a wind farm held the most revenue potential.  But information about the project had not been widely circulated, and residents were mostly in the dark about what was going on until recently.

It was not until the winter of 2009 / 2010, that county commissioners held a series of town hall meetings to share their plan with residents. Opposition to the wind farm started gathering momentum at that time, and people began to speak out against the project for a range of reasons, and expressed concerns including, among others:

• Negative impacts to wildlife, including raptors and big game animals that congregate in the area
• Damage to the scenic vistas that Hood River is noted for worldwide
• The potential to worsen the county's financial situation
• Negative impacts to tourism
• Health issues owing to the noise, flicker effect of the spinning blades, and flashing lights at night
• Potential accidents, including lightening strikes and fire

Due to the mounting opposition, the County Commission meeting on May 17 was packed with residents ready to speak out in opposition to the project.  However, the commissioners pre-empted comments by anyone in attendence, because they voted no on the project before any resident could speak.

While disappointed that we did not get a chance to speak, those of us in opposition were not about to argue about the lack of opportunity for public comment. We were just glad to have won.

Presumably, no one at the meeting was there to speak in favor of the proposed project.

Now that we've stopped chasing wind mills, presumably the county can get back to thinking about programs that make sense, and which will have a positive impact on the county's current financial woes.

The County Budget Crisis

The commissioners had hoped that projected revenues from the wind farm project could bolster the county's ailing financial situation. Clearly, however, results of the new financial study indicate that a county-owned and -operated wind farm is not the answer to the county's financial woes.

Now that we’ve stopped chasing wind mills, we're hopeful that the county can get back to thinking about programs that make good sense for its residents.

We're also hoping that the county will learn to listen with open minds about people’s concerns, and seek to get more people involved in these sorts of high-impact projects earlier on in the process.

Next Steps

What should we be focused on now as a county? It's hard to say. In her remarks to those in attendence at the May 17 Board of Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Barbara Briggs said that people should come forward with their ideas. 

Should we believe her? Should we believe that the County Commissioners really want to hear what residents have to say?  Some of us have become a bit jaded given the process we've just been through.  Still, there is always hope.

• Please let us know if you're interested in getting involved in some new leg of this journey, and what that journey may look like.  Contact us at: info@stopwindfarmshere.org.
• And/or, if you have not become jaded by the wind farm process, please contact your County Commissioners and let them know you're ready to help.

Meanwhile, if you have not already done so, please consider signing the ballot petition (see above).