It’s a tough time to be a booster for California wind energy.
President Donald Trump has launched a policy assault on wind turbines, which he has described as “a disgrace,” killing in-progress projects and axing federal tax credits. And while Gov. Gavin Newsom has positioned himself as a defender of renewable energy, his administration is poised to deny California’s highest-profile wind power proposal.
Spanish energy company Repsol has been pushing for years to build the Fountain Wind project — a 71-turbine wind farm on about 4,500 acres of land in unincorporated Shasta County. After getting denied by county officials, in 2023 it turned to the California Energy Commission, hoping to get approval through a new “opt-in” process that empowered the state to override local concerns.
But locals managed to derail the expedited permit review, ushering in a series of delays. Last month, CEC Executive Director Drew Bohan sent a letter to his agency’s leadership, encouraging them to deny the project. The matter is up for a vote next Friday.
