Green air: Desert winds an attractor for wind energy developers as state government moves toward diverse green energy development

ELLENSBURG — According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, wind power is the second-largest contributor to Washington’s renewable electricity generation, and the state’s largest wind farm is along the Snake River in southeastern Washington with more than 343 megawatts of capacity.

“We are often looking at wind energy for the potential to fulfill its need for clean energy,” said Glenn Blackmon, manager for energy policy with the Washington Department of Commerce.

Over the last several years, the Washington State Legislature has taken measures to encourage wind contributions to the state’s energy grid along with other green energy solutions, said Department of Commerce Ag and Rural Energy Specialist Aaron Peterson.

While just more than 6% of the state’s electrical production is through wind energy according to the EIA report, that is likely to change as the Clean Energy Transformation Act – or CETA – takes effect. Originally SB 5116, the law was signed in 2019 and commits Washington to developing an energy supply free of greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Wind energy off the west coast and in the windswept eastern side of the state are both options to meet those needs, Blackmon said.

Research is underway to improve wind energy and examine sites where wind power stations could be established – both off the west coast and inland.

“We partner with the national laboratory at Washington State University,” Blackmon said. “Looking at feasibility, field testing. Going offshore, wind is a more mature industry. Inland there’s been more of a request for solar.”

Nuclear power is also being considered in the state, which would serve to diversify the energy grid among hydroelectric, wind, solar and other energy sources and move the state away from sources such as coal or other carbon-emitting sources.

This year, HB 1173 was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee on May 9. The new law addresses light pollution caused by blinking air traffic warning lights on wind turbine generators. Under the new law, the lights must have a system that monitors for air traffic and only turns the warning lights on when aircraft are in the area. Inslee vetoed a part of the bill that would have allowed local jurisdictions to establish stricter requirements, because he felt that portion of the law would result in a patchwork of regulations that would be both difficult to navigate and confusing for the industry, he said.

“Section 3 adds a confusing layer of direction for local governments by stating that they may adopt ordinances that may include specifications for light-mitigating systems,” Inslee told legislators said in his veto statement. “The provision is confusing because it states such ordinances may contain criteria including ‘conditions under which light mitigation is required,’ but the underlying bill makes clear that all wind energy facilities require light mitigation. Additionally, such ordinances could dictate which particular light mitigation system a facility-operator must use and could create a patchwork of different requirements that vary by jurisdiction.”

Another bill encouraging wind energy in Eastern Washington – along with solar energy – is HB 1216, which was signed into law on May 3. The bill encourages looking for sites for wind and solar on the eastern side of the state which, according to Inslee, is a great place for both.

“Eastern Washington is blessed by incredible things the Creator has given, which is water, beautiful topsoil, great growing conditions; but the Creator also gave them the two biggest resources of energy which is the sun and the wind,” Inslee said in February.

It’s possible that landowners – including farmers and ranchers – can cash in on the opportunities that wind and solar offer. Developers of electrical infrastructure offer good deals for land leases that permit the installation of green energy tech.

According to Landmark Dividend, a firm that identifies land to be used as infrastructure in the tech sector, landowners such as farmers and ranchers can earn as much as $8,000 per year for a lease large enough to hold a single wind turbine. Leases tend toward 35-year terms, so it is a commitment.

Blackmon and Peterson said those looking to lease their land or approached by a developer should do their research to ensure they’re getting a fair and market-current deal.

Other opportunities include developing a workforce to service the wind turbine industry, Peterson and Blackmon said. With seaports on the coast able to provide service to turbines off the northwestern coast in Washington and Oregon, the potential is there for that aspect of the industry to grow. Additionally, repair work on those turbines – some of which is already happening in the Tri-Cities – can provide technical jobs that pay well and will be around for years to come.

“We hope to see Washington ports capture opportunities to serve offshore wind facilities,” Blackmon said. “Particularly if they are located in Oregon, we think Washington (resources) delivering our (Washington-manufactured) products to offshore facilities could be important.”

Peterson said developing wind is just one aspect of the work to grow the energy industry in Washington.

“We don’t see a need to develop wind at the expense of other important values for the state of Washington,” he said. “We think it’s really important that wind and solar projects contribute to individual communities in terms of economic vitality, and to the communities, and to the ability of those communities to have affordable, clean electricity.”

R. Hans Miller can be reached via email at editor@columbiabasinherald.com.