Union County officials recently got a first-hand look at the newest

wind farm being proposed in Union County by Horizon Wind Energy.

The proposed Antelope Ridge Wind Farm would generate about 300

megawatts 10 miles southeast of La Grande on approximately 47,000 acres

of private land. It would be built in the area of Craig Mountain

between Highway 237 and Interstate 84, according to the public notice

issued by Oregon’s Energy Facility Siting Council.

“The facility will be situated in one of the windiest areas in the

Pacific Northwest, on open ridge tops in a pass between the Blue

Mountains and the Wallowa Mountains of eastern Oregon,” Horizon’s

Notice of Intent to the EFSC said.

This is Horizon’s second project in Eastern Oregon. The company opened the Elkhorn Valley wind farm in Telocaset in December 2007. It generates 101 megawatts of power. The new facility would generate almost three times that, depending on how many turbines are erected.

“We asked for up to 182 turbine locations in our notice of intent,” Project Manager Valerie Franklin told county commissioners during the tour of the site. “But this is subject to study still – we don’t know the exact number yet.”

The facility would connect to either the BPA substation on Gekeler Lane in La Grande or to the Idaho Powder substation, where the Elkhorn Valley wind farm is connected.

“There is no new footprint required to connect the project,” Franklin said. “The substations were already designed for expansion someday.”

The project would require an overhead 230-kilovolt feeder line that spans about 10 miles long and would parallel the existing Idaho Power line.

Horizon has also submitted an alternate route for the feeder line that would run in a southeasterly direction and interconnect through a North Powder substation operated by Idaho Power, according to the public notice.

The company began developing the project in 2002 and is hoping for a permit to build in fall 2010. If everything goes according to plan, major construction would begin in early 2011 and the wind farm would be up and running by the end of that year.

But according to Oregon law, Horizon must obtain approval, called a site certificate, from EFSC. To do this, Horizon is working on submitting a detailed description of the proposed site, the proposed facility and the anticipated impacts.

“We are 90 percent complete checking out potential areas,” said Union County Planning Director Hanley Jenkins.

“Crews are literally on the ground looking at the land they are looking to develop,” Jenkins said.

Some of the studies include the impacts on plants, animals and cultural resources and the surrounding wind levels. To track wind levels, Horizon has placed several meteorological towers throughout possible turbine areas that measure wind duration, velocity and direction, said Jenkins.

Another project Horizon will begin this summer is placing GPS radio collars on elk and mule deer. The collars will log their location hourly for 6 to 8 years.

“It will tell us definitively how big game interacts with wind projects,” said Franklin.

But despite Horizon’s studies, the public does have a say in the matter.

During the approval process, EFSC issues a public notice and notice of a public hearing. Following the hearing, there are a series of public meetings, and even if the council approves, there is still a chance to appeal.

“Union County as a whole has been generally very supportive of the project thus far,” said Franklin. “Although I expect there will be some negative commentors.”

Concerns have been voiced in the past about the impact the towers have on wildlife and views. The noise level associated with wind farms concern some people as well.

One concerned resident is John Milbert, who is a member of Halt Idaho Power – a local group fighting the Idaho Power proposal to build a transmission line from Boardman to Hemingway, Idaho.

“They are a visual pollutant” he said. “We have some of the rarest sanctuaries in the U.S. People come here to see the Wallowa and Blue Mountains – they aren’t going to come anymore if they are polluted with all these wind farms.”

How much the turbines will be seen from the Baker and Grande Ronde valleys is unknown.

“For our application of site certificate, we will be doing visual simulations from key viewing areas using a worst-case scenario study layout,” Franklin said.

Even though Horizon is taking steps to minimize the viewing range, Milbert argues that’s not the only problem.

“They kill a lot of birds and chase out wildlife,” he said. “That’s not green.”

But Horizon disagrees.

“Wind energy is important – it’s a symbol of energy independence for America and we need it to help combat climate change,” she said

She also said that the project will help the economy by creating 200 to 250 jobs during construction and several full-time jobs once operation begins. She also added that the wind farm will accumulate tax revenue for the public and money for private property owners through land leases, but the amount of tax revenue is unknown at this time.

While Horizon has 47,000 acres of land leased, only 10,000 of these acres are in consideration for the wind farm to be built upon.

The facility will also include access roads, foundations underground and overhead electrical collection systems and an operations and maintenance building, according to the public notice.

Horizon does not yet have a buyer for the power, but could sell directly to Bonneville Power or Idaho Power Co., Franklin said.