The Wild Horse Wind Farm provides approximately 230 megawatts (MW) of affordable, pollution-free electricity to the Northwest, which is equal to the annual energy requirements of 69,000 homes. In addition to power generation, the Project has brought new jobs and approximately $1M annually in local property tax revenues to Kittitas County. Horizon Wind Energy installed approximately 127 wind turbines over 8,600 acres of open range. The turbines, underground power lines, roads, and substation blend well with other land uses, and the wind farm itself takes up only about 165 acres.

Wild Horse Wind Farm was sold to Puget Sound Energy.

Project Fact and Figures

Location: Kittitas County

Acreage: 86,000 acres

Project Size: 230 MW

Turbines: 127

Online Date: Late 2006

The Wild Horse Wind Farm is located in central Washington's Kittitas Valley, which has long been known for its vigorous winds. The wind farm is placed on the high open ridge tops of Whiskey Dick Mountain between the towns of Kittitas and Vantage. The open rangeland is currently zoned as Forest and Range by Kittitas County. The project site was selected for its energetic wind resource and its access to several sets of power transmission lines, which have adequate capacity to allow the wind-generated power to be integrated into the power grid system.

Environmental Impact Statement

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) examines the project's purpose, need, and benefits, and the potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the project, providing proposed measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate potential impacts. Environmental studies undertaken for the document examine land use, vegetative communities, wildlife, hydrology (including floodplains and wetlands), geology, and visual and cultural (historical and archaeological) resources within a study area encompassing the proposed facilities. These studies examine all generating facility components, including proposed turbine locations, electrical interconnects, access roads, and substation facilities. The DEIS for Wild Horse Wind Farm was released in August 2004.