Palouse Wind buys house from opponent

Oct. 20--The long-standing battle to build a wind farm between Naff Ridge and U.S. Highway 195 in Oakesdale has been resolved with a settlement between Palouse Wind and Roger Whitten, the project's biggest opponent for the last three years.

After beginning construction work started at the wind farm site, Whitten submitted a voluntary order of dismissal earlier this week. In turn, Palouse Wind agreed to purchase Whitten's home near Naff Ridge in Oakesdale so he can move to northern Spokane County.

"I'm glad it's over, it's taken up a lot of my time for the last three years," Whitten said. "I have mixed feelings because I didn't really want to leave our home, but with the situation the way it was, this was the best solution."

Whitten and other area residents challenged the county multiple times throughout the last three years because of the belief that wind turbine noise would be detrimental to public health. Whitten butted heads with county leadership while they created an ordinance controlling the construction of commercial wind facilities, he attempted to have county commissioners recalled and appealed the environmental impact statement during hearing to issue a conditional use permit.

Benjamin Fairbanks, director of western U.S. business development for Palouse Wind's parent company First Wind, said the settlement and the beginning of construction were "unrelated items." Given the location of the residence, Fairbanks said purchasing Whitten's house would be valuable for access to the southern part of the project, as well as for storage during construction.

"So it was kind of a mutual decision between both parties," Fairbanks said. "We were discussing options as the appeal and project was being permitted and we had had numerous conversations and finally came to an agreement to settle outside the courts."

Whitman County Planning Director Alan Thompson said technically, construction could have begun as soon as the conditional use permit was approved by Andrew Kottkamp, the hearing examiner.

"The conditional use was issued in May ... but there was a lot of work to be done first and ... they may have been strategically waiting to see what the results of the case were," Thomson said.

The first step in the construction process is a road being built up to Naff Ridge off Baird Road, Thomson said. In addition, there will be temporary laydown areas, a number of turbine pads and other groundwork construction this fall, weather-permitting, and construction of the turbines will begin in the spring. Fairbanks said the wind farm is expected to be up and fully operational by October 2012, and generating renewable energy by early 2013.

The turbines are expected to deliver an average of 40 megawatts -- up to 100 megawatts during peak generation -- of energy to homes and businesses through a previously signed 30-year contract between First Wind and Avista. Fairbanks said there will likely be less than 60 turbines constructed

With the settlement between Whitten and Palouse Wind, Fairbanks said there shouldn't be the need for any legal proceedings any time in the future.

"We're pleased to have the issue resolved so we can concentrate on the construction phase and getting folks to work in Whitman County," Fairbanks said. "It will be an exciting year next year."

Kelli Hadley can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 234, or by email to khadley@dnews.com.

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