A huge sigh of relief was heard across Eastern Oregon.
The Pentagon says it will no longer try to block construction of a massive wind farm in Gilliam and Morrow counties. At stake were millions of dollars in spending and hundreds of jobs.
Work on the Shepherd’s Flat wind project was supposed to start about two months ago. But in early March, the Pentagon put everything on hold when it said the wind turbines might cause interference at an Air Force radar station near Fossil.
This is one enormous wind farm. More than 330 turbines and 845 megawatts of power. About as much energy as a nuclear power plant. 700 construction jobs. And depending on who you ask, it will either be the biggest wind farm in the United States – or the biggest wind farm in the world.
The Pentagon’s announcement led to weeks of discussions between the Defense Department and members of Oregon’s Congressional Delegation. Today, Senators Wyden and Merkley, joined by Congressman Walden, released a statement saying the Pentagon will upgrade the radar station instead of continuing to fight construction.
While good news for Shepherd’s Flat, the congressional statement also notes that it’s unclear how this will affect future wind farms. Wyden, Merkley and Walden say they’ll continue to work with DOD to make sure these kinds of issues are worked out ahead of time, instead of waiting until the last minute.
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