Governor Jay Inslee on Thursday directed the Energy Facility Siting and Evaluation Council to reconsider portions of its proposed certification for the Horse Heaven Wind Farm Project in Central Washington.

In a letter, Inslee directed the council to consider mitigation efforts more narrowly tailored to the specific impacts associated with the proposal. By doing so, the wind farm would be able to achieve its full or near-full energy generation capacity to meet the state's critical need for green electricity.

"I strongly encourage the council to return to me their approval of this project application that appropriately prioritizes the state's pressing clean energy needs," Inslee wrote.

The governor's role in the siting and evaluation process is quasi-judicial, meaning his decision must be based solely on the materials produced by the council. By statute, the council must perform this reconsideration “expeditiously,” and the governor has asked the council to respond within 90 days. After the council resubmits the draft site certification, incorporating any amendments based on its reconsideration, the governor must then either approve or reject the project.    

Read the letter here.