So far, it's been a breeze embracing the growth of wind energy in Oregon as a small part of a broader strategy on global climate change.
But a recent proposal for the Columbia River Gorge suggests the industry is about to take a wrong turn and come into direct conflict with the state's cherished livability while also marring our unique and beloved landscapes.
This we cannot allow.
Massachusetts-based UPC Wind announced plans in April to build a 60-megawatt windplant in Wasco County west of The Dalles. The project marks the first time in Oregon that developers have tried to build such a massive facility a stone's throw from a scenic area. It also is the first time that a residential neighborhood would be significantly impacted.
In light of Gov. Ted Kulongoski's plan for 25 percent of our electricity to come from renewable resources by 2025, similar conflicts are all but inevitable in the future. We would be wise, therefore, to take a time out now and come up with some common sense rules guiding commercial wind development in the state over the next two decades.
After all, this year we're talking about the Gorge. Next year, the debate may revolve around turbines on Mt. Hood or on our Pacific Coast beaches.
Any discussion should begin with the fact that a modern wind turbine is no shrinking violet and exists on a scale difficult to imagine if you haven't seen one up close. At 400-feet tall, it dwarfs the Statue of Liberty and soars higher than all but a handful of skyscrapers in downtown Portland.
Now picture 40 of them, or 140 of them, lined up along a ridge with accompanying new high-voltage transmission lines and substations. While perhaps suitable for the sparsely settled wheat fields of Eastern Oregon, such an industrial-scale energy-generating complex is not at all compatible with places where we live, work and play.
UPC Wind's proposed facility on Sevenmile Hill literally would tower over the quaint town of Mosier. It would stand out strongly to visitors from about half of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area --everyone from windsurfers in Hood River, hikers on such classics as Dog Mountain and Mt. Defiance as well as fisherman chasing steelhead on the Klickitat River.
It's an absolutely terrible idea for a place that for the last 20 years has been managed and preserved for its remarkable beauty. Approving the facility would open the door to further wind development in the scenic section of the Gorge and would send the message that no place in Oregon is off limits.
It's also a terrible idea for the hundreds of families who call Sevenmile Hill home. Just the idea of a windplant in the neighborhood already has resulted in a virtual freeze on real estate sales. Who wants to live near huge noisy turbines, with poorly understood long-term health effects on humans? UPC Wind actually has the audacity to suggest real estate prices will go up, but studies – and common sense -- suggest otherwise.
In addition, the economic payoff for the area is truly paltry. Just three large property owners would receive money from leasing their land to UPC Wind. And when complete, the facility would generate an estimated three to four full-time jobs. The Wasco County commissioners have approved giving the company a five-year tax break, so forget about additional short-term revenue for the cash-strapped county.
In short, this project doesn't add up for the Gorge or for Oregon. Therefore, we call on the Governor and Legislature to immediately hold hearings on the impacts of new commercial windplants in the state. The Oregon Department of Energy, through its Energy Facility Siting Council, needs time to update rules that were drawn up before the advent of these huge energy-generating complexes.
We suggest the state develop a system of setbacks as the easiest way to protect both homeowners and scenic areas. Most countries employing modern wind technology are moving toward an industry standard of 2 kilometers, or about 1.25 miles, between turbines and the nearest residences. We think Oregon should do the same.
Additionally, a 5-mile setback between turbines and scenic areas would go a long way towards reducing future conflicts between wind farms and our state’s most beautiful places.
