(The Center Square) – Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and the state agency in charge of permitting energy projects are being sued by three groups opposed to a controversial clean energy project in the Tri-Cities.
A citizen group called Tri-Cities CARES, Benton County, and the Yakama Nation have filed separate lawsuits, all in Thurston County Superior Court, hoping to scale back Scout Clean Energy’s plans to build a massive wind turbine and solar farm project along a 24-mile stretch of Horse Heaven Hills.
“We are challenging the site certification agreement that was issued by EFSEC,” said Greg Wendt, director of community development for Benton County, in a Wednesday interview with The Center Square.
EFSEC is a reference to the state’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council.
“Benton County has come out against this project from the very beginning, and some of the foundational issues are the improper conversion of the county’s agricultural lands and the long-term significance that the project would involve,” Wendt said.
Attorneys for the Yakama Nation filed their suit in Thurston County Superior in late November, as did local activists with Tri-Cities CARES.
As previously reported by The Center Square, local residents in opposition to the project have complained that wildlife and environmental concerns have been ignored, along with the loss of open landscape views for residents.
The project run by Scout Clean Energy, a company recently purchased by a Canadian investment firm, may ultimately include 222 turbines about 500 feet tall or 141 turbines about 670 feet tall. There will also be solar arrays and battery storage, stretching from Horse Heaven Hills just south of Kennewick for about 24 miles from Finley to Benton City in the Tri-Cities metropolitan area.
“We have the foundational argument from day one that this project is in violation of county ordinances and codes, as well as state laws,” Wendt said. “We have designated areas that are zoned appropriately where developers could work with landowners to try to site projects like this to help the state meet its goals.”
Wendt told The Center Square that the fight over this massive project may be the first of many.
“As we continue to see these projects come into line one after the other, we’re starting to evaluate the cumulative impacts on our agricultural lands,” he said, noting the proposed Wautoma Solar Project, also to be located in Benton County, was recently recommended for approval by EFSEC.
“This was an anticipated step in the process, and we respect the right of all parties to pursue their legal options,” SCOUT Clean Energy told The Center Square in an email. “We remain confident in the comprehensive review conducted by EFSEC and trust the judicial system to resolve these matters fairly and efficiently. In the meantime, we are committed to advancing the project to begin delivering clean, reliable energy on a timeline that aligns with Washington’s climate goals.”