The Importance of Wind

I n 2007, when planning was underway for the second phase of the Marengo wind project in Columbia County, a small number of local citizens went to great extremes to try to stop it. They were unsuccessful, and that project joined Hopkins Ridge and Marengo I to establish an important new economic driver in the Touchet Valley.

Puget Sound Energy, owner and operator of Hopkins Ridge, has since received a Conditional Use Permit in Co- lumbia County (as well as one in Garfield County) for the development of the Lower Snake River Wind Project. Phase I of that project was completed in Garfield County in 2011.

The positive impact to Columbia County's economy from the new wind projects has been incredibly large. Here are just some of the benefits:

Property taxes - theirs: The total property valuation in Co- lumbia County increased from $286 million in 2005 to $420 million in 2007, after completion of two wind projects here.* Wind project operators in Columbia County now pay more than a million dollars in property taxes each year for the proj- ects that are already here. The new PGE project will increase the county's tax base - and tax receipts - considerably.

Property taxes - ours: The average overall property tax levy rate for Columbia County property owners dropped from $13.04 per thousand dollar valuation in 2006 to $11.19 per thousand in 2008.* This means the owner of a $100,000 home in 2006 paid $185 more in property taxes, than did the owner of a similar valued home in 2008.

Property taxes - the county: Columbia County collected $3.69 million in property taxes in 2006. By 2008, that num- ber had risen to $4.84 million.* Besides the county govern- ment, many local entities received significant increases in funding, including: Fire District 3, Port of Columbia, the Columbia County Health System, the Dayton School District and the Columbia County Library District.

Landowners - Dozens of local farmers and other land- owners have signed leases with wind project developers. They will receive new income from these projects for years to come.

Jobs - PGE predicts that construction of LSR phase II will bring 300 temporary construction jobs to our area. More importantly, they expect 18 permanent full-time jobs to be created in Columbia County by the new project. That's huge. These are family-wage jobs filled mostly by young men with families. It's unlikely these families could remain here if not for the jobs provided by the wind farms.

The intangibles - Reduced tax rates, combined with in- creased tax revenue, combined with lease income, combined with income from new jobs, equals a stronger economy. The businesses on Dayton's main street, and throughout our region, get more customers spending more money. Our local hospital and schools are healthier.

With the continued expansion of the wind energy industry in Columbia County, the our whole region will be healthier.

*The figures above are from an analysis conducted by the Blue Mountain News and published in its April 2008 edition. All of the tax numbers were provided by the Columbia County Assessor's Office at that time.