The executive director of the California Energy Commission is recommending the state not approve the controversial Fountain Wind project proposed for eastern Shasta County.
Director Drew Bohan will bring his recommendation to the CEC’s Dec. 19 meeting in Sacramento, where the commission is expected to make a final ruling on the energy project.
The meeting is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. in the California Natural Resources Building on P Street. The meeting also will be accessible via Zoom.
Bohan’s recommendation comes eight months after the CEC, in a published staff assessment of Fountain Wind, concluded that the project’s benefits do not outweigh the toll it would take on the environment.
At the time it was hailed as a big boost in Shasta County’s years-long fight to stop the revived wind energy project.
“This is a victory for Shasta County and the communities who have stood together in defense of our land, safety, quality of life, and most importantly, local control,” Board of Supervisors Chair Kevin Crye said in a release at the time.
In his recommendation, Bohan also stated the “numerous significant and unavoidable environmental impacts specifically associated with the Fountain Wind project” do not justify approval.
“Based on the entire record of this proceeding, including the Opt-In Application, public comments, Staff Assessment, and Response to Comments, I, as Executive Director, recommend the CEC deny the Fountain Wind Project certification to construct and operate the facility,” Bohan concluded.
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.
Last year, Shasta County started a media campaign to fight the project and to date has spent about $55,000 on it.
Too, 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.
To join the Zoom meeting at 10 a.m. on Dec. 19, go to https://zoom.us/. The Meeting ID is 886 5692 5780 and the passcode is energy.
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: Is this the end for contentious Shasta County wind farm project?
Reporting by David Benda, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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