VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — It seems like winds farms have been sprouting faster than wheat in eastern Klickitat County near the Columbia River.
In the past four years, 624 turbines have risen along the crest of the Columbia Hills near the small town of Bickleton.
The Columbian reports the number will reach 1,000 when all the planned projects are completed. The Columbia Gorge wind farms will be able to generate enough electricity for about 300,000 homes.
The Columbian reports the wind power boom was prompted by the initiative Washington voters approved five years ago, requiring major utilities to generate 15 percent of their power with such renewable energy. And a tax credit is pushing developers to start construction before the end of the year.
