Shasta County residents who want to learn more about the state’s preliminary staff assessment of a revived controversial wind energy project should mark May 20 on their calendars.
The California Energy Commission has scheduled a public meeting on the proposed Fountain Wind at the Red Lion Hotel on Hilltop Drive. The meeting is 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the hotel’s Sierra Room.
At the meeting, CEC officials will present the staff assessment and findings from the draft environmental impact report to gather input from government agencies, tribal representatives and the public, Shasta County spokesman David Maung said in a news release.
Maung said the county is encouraging residents to attend the meeting either in person or remotely.
For meeting details, Zoom access, and the full staff assessment, click here.
A final decision on the project is not expected to happen at the meeting.
Shasta County’s fight to stop Fountain Wind got a boost in late March when the CEC’s preliminary staff assessment concluded the project’s benefits do not outweigh the toll it would take on the environment.
(Note to readers, to see the report, go to the docket log and search for Fountain Wind Staff Assessment.)
State officials do not know when the commission will vote on the project.
“After public comment and final findings are considered, an Updated Staff Assessment will be published, which will include a final recommendation. The commission will vote to approve or disapprove the application at a business meeting,” Stacey Shepard, a spokeswoman for the California Energy Commission, said in an email to the Record Searchlight after the initial staff assessment was published.
Shasta County and the Pit River Tribe teamed up to sue the state over the project, which would feature 48 wind turbines on 4,500 acres in the Montgomery Creek-Round Mountain area, about 35 miles east of Redding. The turbines would have the capacity to generate 205 megawatts, enough power to about 80,000 homes, according to project applicant Texas-based ConnectGen.
The staff assessment says in part, “Staff acknowledges the key role wind generation plays in SB 100 goals, but concludes the evidence is clear that this location is not compatible with this proposed facility.”
In October 2021, the Shasta County Board of Supervisors voted down the project, denying ConnectGen’s appeal of the county Planning Commission’s decision not to approve the wind farm. The supervisors’ meeting featured more than 10 hours of public comment.
But the California Legislature in 2022 approved AB 205, which allowed the Energy Commission to consider approving the project, even though Shasta County rejected it.
(This story was updated with new information.)
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly “Buzz on the Street” column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: California energy panel coming to Redding for findings on controversial wind farm plan
Reporting by David Benda, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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