After three meetings, Humboldt County Planning Commission comes to Terra-Gen wind farm conclusion
In a 4-2 vote on Thursday evening, the Humboldt County Planning Commission rejected permitting for the Humboldt Wind Energy Project, a proposed plan to bring 47 Terra-Gen wind turbines to Bear River and Monument Ridges.
The turbines would have been capable of producing half of Humboldt County’s energy needs.
The Planning Commission held two previous meetings this month before reaching a decision. Both previous meetings and Thursday’s meeting saw huge crowds.
The planned wind farm site was located in a sacred Wiyot prayer site and in a pristine wildlife environment home to several endangered species that would be impacted by the turbines.
The opposition to the project cited visual pollution, an incomplete environmental impact report and inadequate mitigations as reasons to reject the plan. Project supporters cited an urgent need to reduce fossil fuel burning and reinforce the county’s energy resiliency.
See more information on the project here.
