Northwest becoming a hub for wind power production

YAKIMA, Wash. — Some may howl when the wind gusts across Central Washington, but others plan to harness it.

Despite a regional power surplus, the Northwest has become a hub for wind farm development, which is predicted to continue growing here and nationwide.

At least eight projects are proposed for Central Washington, including three in Kittitas County and one in Benton County. Hundreds of wind turbines could rise as early as next year if the projects are approved.

Spinning out more than 800 megawatts, the projects would double the state's current wind power production, providing power for more than 100,000 homes.

And while some may question the effect wind farms have on scenery and wildlife, two large operations are already running in Washington. The Stateline Wind Project along the Oregon border west of Walla Walla is the world's largest wind farm, generating 300 megawatts. The Nine Canyon Wind Farm west of Kennewick produces 60 megawatts.

Among wind farm customers is Pacific Power.

"Wind energy is huge for us," said Deston Nokes, a Pacific Power spokesman based in Portland. "We like wind because it has no pollutants, it's plentiful in supply, fairly quick to construct and can be put in remote places."

Pacific Power currently purchases 83 megawatts of wind power out of Wyoming, enough to power 13,000 homes.

That's still only a fraction of the 8,300 megawatts Pacific Power provides. But that gap is expected to close over the next 10 years as the company plans to acquire 1,400 megawatts of renewable energy, most of it wind power.

The growth of wind energy is, in part, due to utilities facing volatile natural gas prices, said Jeff King, a senior resource analyst with the Northwest Power Planning Council.

But even with higher natural gas prices, wind power remains more expensive to generate — from 3 cents to 5 cents per kilowatt hour compared with coal, oil and natural gas, which can be lower than 2 cents.

Most of wind power's growth, though, is a result of a federal tax subsidy.

Under the program, the government pays wind farm companies 1.8 cents per kilowatt hour produced by a wind power plant.

The tax credit makes generating wind energy competitive with other power resources, said Kathy Belyeu, a spokeswoman with the American Wind Energy Association, based in Washington, D.C.