Damaged wind turbine near Ellensburg will have to come down, PSE says

SEATTLE – You’ve heard of Don Quixote tilting at windmills, but out east of Ellensburg, they have a windmill tilting.

Puget Sound Energy officials discovered Thursday a wind turbine so badly damaged that the structure is going to have to be taken down, said Melanie Coon, a spokesperson for the utility.

The turbine is part of the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility about 16 miles east of Ellensburg. Finished in 2006, the wind farm includes 149 turbines, and can generate up to 273 megawatts of electricity, enough to power nearly a quarter of a million homes.

Power has been cut off to the damaged turbine, and the site is closed to public access, Coon said.

Officials with Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue are standing by in case the turbine falls, Chief D.J. Goldsmith said. The biggest concern is whether a fall could ignite a fire.

Wind gusts of up to 40 mph hit the area in recent days, Goldsmith said. The turbine has remained standing but should it fall on a windy day and somehow spark a fire, the flames could spread fast.

Conditions are hot and dry all across the state, growing the wildfire risk. All of Kittitas County is considered to be within a drought emergency and over the weekend, the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for Chelan and Douglas counties to the north. That warning ended Monday evening.

But, to stay safe, Goldsmith said PSE has stationed people near the tower with water trucks in the case of an emergency. They’re watching the turbine around the clock and will call in firefighters if a fire sparks, he said.

The root of the problem appears to be a crack in the tower, Coon said.

PSE is speaking with the manufacturer, the energy company Vestas Engineering, about next options.

Representatives from Vestas could not immediately be reached for comment.

Ultimately, the turbine will be decommissioned and removed, Coon said. Members of the public are advised to stay away from the area.