Cannon Power Group, the San Diego developer of the massive Windy Point/Windy Flats project in rural Klickitat County, has won a $200 million cash grant through the federal stimulus act that will allow it to nearly double the project’s energy-generating capacity.
The grant will allow the company to expand the project by more than 350 megawatts, add 250 jobs and provide more than $32 million in community and state benefits over the life of the project, according to a statement released by the company late Tuesday.
To date, the company has invested $1 billion in the project, one of the largest wind farms in the nation. The existing 400-megawatt wind farm has yielded more than 350 jobs and $145 million in overall economic benefits, Cannon said. More than 75 percent of the project’s work force lives in Klickitat County.
“I applaud President Obama for his vision and leadership,” Gov. Chris Gregoire said in a statement. “I am proud that the state of Washington is home to a project that is helping spur billions of dollars in private ‘green’ investment and creating thousands of jobs.”
