C2
East Oregonian/Hermiston Herald
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
PROGRESS SPECIAL SECTION
Progress is blowing in the wind
County counsel Doug Olsen
said Vancycle entered into a Stra-
tegic Investment Program deal
with the county in lieu of pay-
ing property taxes, and that’s
what most big wind farms tend
to do. Under that deal, Vancycle
pays $2 million in taxes over the
span of 20 years, but it also pays
$500,000 in community service
fees each year of that same span.
That money goes to local taxing
districts.
Nolin Hills, Olsen said, would
likely be big enough to qualify
for a SIP. That means in rural
Oregon the project would cost at
least $25 million and likely much
more.
The Oregon Department of
Energy’s “2018 Biennial Energy
Report” ranks hydropower as
Oregon’s
largest
electricity
resource, and energy efficiency
— doing the same work with less
power — is No. 2. Wind is third,
accounting for nearly 12% of
Oregon’s electricity generation.
Oregon has 44 wind farms in
operation with a capacity of 3,383
megawatts and another 2,147
megawatts proposed, approved
or under review, according to the
report, and most of that produc-
tion comes from Eastern Oregon.
Sherman County has 1,057
megawatts of capacity, and
Umatilla, Morrow, and Gilliam
counties combined have 2,179
megawatts.
While the state — and Umatilla
County — wait on Nolin Hills,
Portland General Electric and Nex-
tEra Energy Resources are build-
ing the Wheatridge Renewable
Energy Facility, which combines
wind, solar and battery power
and spans Umatilla and Morrow
counties. According to the Oregon
Department of Energy, Wheat-
ridge’s wind production alone
would blow out 500 megawatts.
Nolin Hills Wind
Power Project
could generate 350
megawatts of power
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
UMATILLA COUNTY —
Umatilla County’s next wind
farm could be its largest yet.
The Nolin Hills Wind Power
Project would cover almost
45,000 acres on private land in the
Nolin area about 4 miles south of
Echo and 10 miles west of Pend-
leton. The facility could generate
350 megawatts of power, accord-
ing to the project documents
from the Oregon Department of
Energy.
The Capital Power Corpora-
tion of Boston, Massachusetts,
applied for the site certificate from
the state energy department’s
Energy Facility Siting Council.
The corporation is a subsidiary
of the Canadian company Capi-
tal Power Development. Umatilla
County counsel Doug Oslen said
the project remains in a “holding
pattern” while the Department of
Energy waits on the company to
submit a preliminary application
for site certificate.
What the wind farm would
mean for Umatilla County
remains a question. County asses-
sor Paul Chalmers explained the
production of a wind farm dic-
tates its value. The more energy
it generates, the more it’s worth.
But that value declines each
year of operation, he said, as the
turbines depreciate. Umatilla
County has several wind farms
now, including the big Stateline
Wind Farm in the northern part
of the county that went online in
2001. The farm produces a max-
imum of 307 megawatts. The
project’s value was more than
$89 million in 2003, according to
Chalmers, but today the value is
closer to $26 million.
EO File Photo
A wind farm near Arlington gen-
erates power.
Introducing Primary Care For Your Whole Family!
Good Shepherd Family Health Center is ready to care
for all your family — men, women, and children over five
months. Our care encompasses building a relationship
with you that includes monitoring your family history,
annual physicals and examinations, sick visits,
monitoring and caring for lifestyle-related conditions,
and working with specialists if the need arises.
Meet Our Providers:
WELCOMING NEW PATIENTS
541.667.3830
FAMILY HEALTH CENTER
Angie Hays, ARNP
JoDee Williams, DNP
Located in the Good Shepherd Medical Plaza
620 NW 11th Street, Suite 103
Hermiston, OR 97838