Wind turbines, as part of the Nine Canyon Wind Project located southeast of Kennewick are seen from Horse Heaven Hills on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Emree Weaver for Cascade PBS)
Washington has ambitious climate goals and massive energy needs. But as proposals for renewable energy projects emerge, so does opposition. In fact, as Cascade PBS investigative reporter Brandon Block discovered, the fight against wind and solar development seems as fierce as the fight for it. What will the state consider an acceptable sacrifice in the name of combating climate change?
Read Block’s investigation here.
Episode 1
As originally proposed, the Horse Heaven Hills wind farm would have built more than 200 wind turbines on a prominent ridgeline just south of Washington’s Tri-Cities. After years of community backlash, litigation and former Governor Inslee’s veto of a controversial state council’s permitting decision, the project is still in limbo. Cascade PBS investigative reporter Brandon Block explains how a slew of resistance – including from homeowners, wildlife conservationists and the Yakama Nation – raises important questions about which concerns take precedence in the drive to kick fossil fuels.
Episode 2
What is the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, or EFSEC, anyway? While so many of Washington’s proposed renewable energy projects are mired in controversy, one thing all sides can agree on is their criticism of EFSEC. The state body, which is empowered to override local laws and recommend permits for new energy projects, is routinely critiqued by everyone from clean energy developers to Indigenous nations to even the state legislature. Brandon Block explains why this facility-permitting council was created in the first place, how it works and what reforms might be in order.
Episode 3
One group with a loud voice in the debate over renewable energy development in Washington is farmers. Since so many of these conflicts are rooted in land-use decisions, a major question remains: Should the state prioritize land for agriculture or energy development? Brandon Block explains how some farmers believe these new energy facilities could threaten their way of life, while others are surviving by leasing land to a solar developer. Finally, Block speaks with a researcher who helps design conflict-reduction maps. The hope is that better advance planning can help address all of these dueling priorities – including the looming climate crisis.
Credit:
Senior podcast producer Sara Bernard
Podcast producer Maleeha Syed
Investigative reporter Brandon Block