Supervisors May Spend On 100K Media Campaign Against Proposed Wind Project

On Tuesday the Shasta County Board of Supervisors will decide whether to spend $100,000 on a media campaign to get word out about the Fountain Wind Project. After being denied by the Planning Commission in 2021, the company ConnectGEN appealed to the Board of Supervisors with a downsized proposal which would reduce the number of turbines from 71 to 48, with a maximum height of 610 feet rather than 679 feet. ConnectGEN 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 an ordinance that prohibits new wind projects in the county altogether, a direct conflict with the energy commission’s claim of jurisdiction. The board wants to generate public opposition to the project by way of the proposed $100,000 media campaign.