Wind power to provide electricity in Klickitat County

A wind-power project in southern Washington's Klickitat County promises to provide electricity for some 60,000 homes.

Portland-based PPM Energy announced Friday construction of the $270 million project.

The 330 turbines will be spread across some 15,000 acres of farmland in a county that has struggled in recent years because of low crop prices and the closure of an aluminum plant that was a major employer.

PPM, a subsidiary of Scottish Power, broke ground on the plant this month and plans to have it operating by next summer. It will create about 200 construction jobs, employ about a half-dozen workers once complete and generate 200 megawatts of power, according to Jan Johnson, a spokeswoman for PPM.

PPM is still in negotiations over the sale of the power.

Though a small portion of the Northwest power portfolio, wind power is rapidly expanding because utilities are attracted to a renewable source of energy that, unlike natural-gas power plants, is not dependent on the volatile price of a fossil fuel.

Also Friday, PPM announced the dedication of Klondike II in Wasco County, Ore., which consists of 50 turbines that each stand more than 300 feet tall and have propeller blades with a 250-foot span.

In the project, landowners receive royalty payments ranging from $2,000 to $4,000 annually for each turbine.

Hal Bernton: 206-464-2581 or hbernton@seattletimes.com

Information in this article, originally published October 29, was corrected October 29. The story incorrectly referred to the subsdiary of Scottish Power that is launching the project. That company is PPM Energy.