Company Submits Application For Large Wind Project In Eastern Shasta County

An application has been completed by the company that wants to build some large wind turbines near Round Mountain. After being denied by the Planning Commission in 2021, the company behind the Fountain Wind Project appealed to the Board of Supervisors with a downsized proposal of 48 turbines with a maximum height of 610. The company had pledged large grants to a number of affected parties, including the Pit River Tribe, but a representative said no amount of payoff would change their position. Other reasons against the proposal include that aerial firefighting would be hindered or impossible in the event of a wildfire. In January, the company sought approval for the project from the California Energy Commission under a new law that gave such authority to the state agency. In March the Board of Supervisors responded by drafting a conflicting ordinance that prohibits new wind projects in the county altogether. The board last week voted to drum up public opposition to the project by way of a $100,000 media campaign. The completion of the application only means that state officials will now begin to consider it. The decision will be made by July 26th of next year.