>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

That was some party Horizon Wind Energy threw a couple of weeks ago to celebrate and dedicate the Elkhorn Valley Wind Farm at Telocaset. The weather was fair, the barbecue delicious, the music live and laid back. The mood was festive as people socialized and then gathered under a tent to hear Horizon officials and others sing the project's praises.

Idaho Power Co. representative Jim Miller talked about the project's larger impacts, saying that wind currently makes up 12 percent of his company's portfolio. Miller pointed out that wind is a clean and sustainable resource that nicely augments hydroelectric and coal-fired operations. The Elkhorn project alone will provide enough power for 25,000 homes.

Other speakers talked about local economic benefits. And with good reason: Elkhorn Valley is a $150 million project, with local landowners, businesses and governments all sharing in the bonanza. Congressman Greg Walden drew a laugh from the crowd when he said the turbines were a great crop. "You don't have to feed or water them. All you have to do is pick up the check," he said.

Union County will be one of the big winners in the end, though nobody knows exactly by how much. The rosiest estimate says Horizon will end up paying the county $750,000 a year in property taxes; a lower, perhaps more realistic estimate says $250,000. Either amount, or any in between, will have significant positive impact on the county's fiscal problems. As things stand now, the county's reserve fund is depleted and the board of commissioners is considering cuts in services.

Beyond the money, Horizon has shown it wants to be a good neighbor and community partner. As Horizon's Chris Taylor pointed out during the dedication, the company took extra care before the project began to be sure wildlife won't be adversely affected. Horizon made an equally scrupulous effort to protect and preserve Indian archaeological sites present around Telocaset. Armand Minthorn of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation told the assembled crowd that those efforts met the tribe's standards.

To be sure, not everyone in Union County is happy with a wind farm going up in their back yard. Some complain about the noise and dust raised by construction. Others object to the sight of the towers rising above the desert. But once construction is complete, activity will be limited to the tasks a handful of technical workers need to do to keep the turbines running. Traffic will once again be minimal.

The towers do change the skyline, but on the other hand, Telocaset is far off the beaten track and relatively few people will ever see them. Surely, their quiet presence is a small price to pay for the benefits Union County, the region and the world will receive.