Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Company leasing northeast of Davenport
Triple Oak Power CEO Jesse Gronner (center right) presents to the Lincoln County Commissioners (left) at the Commissioners' regular meeting Monday, April 1.
DAVENPORT - Triple Oak Power, a Portland-based company that is one of multiple companies attempting to construct wind turbines in Lincoln County, made a public appearance by presenting to the Lincoln County Commissioners at a regular meeting Monday, April 1.
CEO Jesse Gronner said the 200-to-300-megawatt project, titled Great Bend Wind, remains in early stages. About 17,000 acres have been leased north to northeast of Davenport, which Gronner later said is around 75% of what the company hopes to acquire as part of what it's calling "Phase I" of turbine construction in the county.
He said two months of data has been gathered on one of three meteorological towers that have been installed around the project area. Those towers are near Denny Station and Jannett Roads, off Chase Road and off Level Road.
A Bonneville Power Administration study has commenced, and Triple Oak has applied to BPA while preparing to apply for Avista, Gronner said.
He said he's also coordinating with the FAA and Dept. of Defense for aviation-related issues and concerns.
Great Bend Wind is the first project Triple Oak Power has constructed in Washington. The other turbine project that's been commercialized is in Texas.
However, Gronner said, in his previous work he helped oversee construction of wind turbines in the Columbia River Gorge, including Klickitat County and Oregon's Sherman and Gilliam Counties.
Gronner shared what the company views as positive impacts of turbines, including new jobs, improved infrastructure and roads and tax revenues for local entities.
"We always end up improving local roads," Gronner said.
He also said the project provides reliable income to landowners who are dealing with soaring farming costs. Landowners who have leased their land to a wind turbine company have discussed low wheat commodity prices as a chief reason for their agreement to sign.
Commissioner Rob Coffman asked whether there was truth to a rumor that Triple Oak Power is discussing a potential merger with Tenaska and Cordelio, which are planning two other projects in the Davenport, Reardan, Edwall and Harrington areas.
Gronner said he's aware of the competition from Tenaska and Cordelio but isn't currently planning any business directly with the companies.
"In my experience, when we have multiple developers, the last thing we're going to do is make sure no one ends up islanded or left behind, but it's too early to tell," Gronner said.
Tenaska/Cordelio representatives met with each Commissioner privately last year to discuss their project intentions.
Coffman also asked Gronner if any field work has been done on noise, flicker or vibration concerns, specifically concerning proximity to residences.
"We're scoping out what people's concerns are," Gronner said. "We're learning the issues of concern that we better do our homework (on) and are responsive to."
Commissioner Jo Gilchrist didn't seem impressed with the response.
"You'd think that we would know some of those answers by now," she said.
Gronner said studies haven't been completed to answer sufficiently based on factors like turbine proximity to each other, where exactly turbines will go and how turbines will be positioned in relation to the sun to create, or not create, flicker.
"It would be different wherever you put them," Commissioner Scott Hutsell acknowledged.
Gilchrist also posed concern regarding setbacks.
"We're trying to preserve our rural lifestyle here," she said.
Gronner said he's "happy to participate in that discussion" and hopes to have setback restrictions that are consistent with other turbine projects around the country.
Coffman also asked about setbacks for adjoining, non-participating landowners before asking Gronner the same question he posed to the public at a community meeting in Harrington Tuesday, March 26 amidst concern about property tax shifts through turbine depreciation: Are the companies willing to help the county advocate for tax reform at the legislative level?
Gronner said he's willing to work with the county in Olympia if "that's what it came to."
"I'm glad to hear you say that," Coffman said.
According to Auditor's Office records, Great Bend Wind LLC has filed 19 memorandum leases with private landowners. Cordelio Development Holdings LLC has filed eight leases, including six in the Davenport/Reardan areas and two near Harrington.
Drew Lawson is the former managing editor of the Davenport Times and a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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