Briefcase

Wind Project receives permit

The proposed Palouse Wind Project has received a conditional-use permit, moving closer to generating as much as 195 megawatts of electricity next year.

An independent hearing examiner hired by Whitman County granted the permit one month after completion of a final environmental impact statement.

The permit would allow the construction near Oakesdale of 65 wind turbines, said Ben Fairbanks, the project’s business development manager. The project’s size will depend on how much electricity customers want, and how soon, he said, as will the size of the turbines.

The permit allows machines 500-feet tall at the tip of the turbine blade, but heights between 350 feet and 450 feet are more likely, he said, adding that some will be visible from U.S. Highway 195.

Fairbanks said the project, worth between $150 million and $200 million, will connect with a nearby Avista Utilities transmission line.

Bert Caldwell 

Boeing promises fuel efficiency

SEATTLE – Boeing says any new plane that replaces its hot-selling 737 could be 20 percent more fuel efficient.

Boeing is trying to decide whether to put a new engine on the 737, or make an all-new plane that would be sold around the end of this decade. Jim Albaugh, who runs Boeing Co.’s commercial airplane business, told analysts the technology should be available to improve fuel efficiency by 20 percent.

Associated Press