Bellevue, WA, April 24, 2008 — Puget Sound Energy announced plans to expand its Wild Horse Wind Facility, located east of Ellensburg on Central Washington’s Whisky Dick Mountain.
PSE is proposing to add approximately 25 wind turbines to its Wild Horse operations in eastern Kittitas County, which currently has 127 turbines. The expansion would add a 1,400-acre parcel of land immediately to the north of the existing 9,150-acre site. The permanent footprint of new turbines, roads, and support facilities will be approximately 2-3 percent of the total site area. PSE purchased the land in February 2008.
PSE hopes the expansion project to boost Wild Horse generating capacity by a projected 40 to 50 MW. The proposed expansion remains within the maximum number of turbines (158) and power output (312 MW) authorized by Wild Horse’s original development permits.
Harris said PSE will ask the state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council to amend the utility’s current Wild Horse site certification agreement to accommodate the expansion project. PSE will also be pursuing an amendment to its existing Wild Horse development agreement with Kittitas County.
PSE will seek public input before filing permit applications for the expansion.
PSE anticipates that once the necessary approvals are received, construction will begin in 2009 and completing work in 2010.
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