After less than one-and-a-half years of construction, Puget Sound Energy's Beaver Creek Wind Project in northern Stillwater County has started generating power, the Fairfield Sun Times reported. An appreciation dinner at the Civic Center marked the occasion, with over 100 community members in attendance.
The Beaver Creek project will power 83,000 homes using 88 wind turbines. Not only will the generation of affordable, renewable energy lower costs for residents and prevent pollution, but it will also pump money into the local economy through taxes and fees and create jobs for residents.
At the dinner, Mary Kipp, president and CEO of PSE, addressed the assembled crowd. "Nobody likes (the process of) building infrastructure — the noise and the dust," she said, per the Fairfield Sun Times. "But we got it done, and real fast."
PSE has already had a positive impact on the community and the economy via donations and taxes. It has donated to Project Hope, the Columbus Fire Department, and the Rapelje Bike Fest, and it offers grants through the PSE Foundation. Additionally, it has contributed $130,000 in impact fees to both the Reed Point and Rapelje schools.
"They don't pay taxes during construction, but they'll pay a flat rate of 25 percent for the first five years, and by the 10th year, it'll be 100 percent," Commissioner Steve Riveland said, per the Fairfield Sun Times.
Residents who were impacted by the construction process were glad to see the completion of the project and confirmed that the nearby roads have been restored to their previous condition, as stipulated in PSE's agreement with the town.
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Future expansions of the Beaver Creek project could serve neighboring Sweet Grass County. There's also the possibility of installing a lithium battery storage to stockpile energy for days when the wind is too calm to generate power.
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