Public Invited to Discuss Fountain Wind Project at California Energy Commission’s Upcoming Community Meeting
On May 20, representatives from the California Energy Commission will solicit feedback from the public on the Fountain Wind Project. CEC staff are recommending the project be denied.
Government agencies, Tribal representatives, and members of the public are invited to a seven hour meeting next week to discuss a controversial energy project known as Fountain Wind, a proposed wind energy generation facility on approximately 2,855 acres of private forest land in Shasta County, near the town of Burney.
The Fountain Wind project has already been voted down by Shasta County twice, but a California law passed in 2022 allows the California Energy Commission (CEC) to supersede local authority by considering whether to approve renewable energy projects at the state level based on its own assessments.
The CEC’s Staff Assessment of the project was submitted in March and includes a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The almost 1,300 page assessment outlines the expected negative impacts the project would have on local resources and communities and includes a recommendation that the CEC deny the project application.
According to the staff assessment, the construction of a massive wind energy plant in Shasta County would have “significant and unavoidable impacts” on the area’s biological resources, cultural and Tribal cultural resources, forestry, hazardous materials, ability to fight wildfires, and agriculture. The report also finds that “the project conflicts with three local laws or ordinances regarding the allowable uses of the proposed project site.”
ConnectGen is the Texas–based and Spanish–owned multimillion dollar corporation behind the Fountain Wind project. The company has a similar development in the works in Wyoming. That project also faced legal backlash from locals but is currently slated to begin operations in 2026.
The CEC isn’t expected to make any decisions about whether or not to eventually approve or deny the project at the May 20 meeting. Instead, the purpose of the meeting is to receive public feedback on the staff assessment ahead of a future final decision.
The CEC will hold the meeting on May 20, from 11 am to 6 pm at the Red Lion Hotel in Redding. Meeting details, including how to attend remotely, can be found on the CEC’s website. Public comments directed toward the CEC on the topic of Fountain Wind can be submitted through this portal.
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