ESIC-AGI SP25 Power Seminar Series: Harvest Hills Wind and the Development of Wind Energy Projects in Washington by Shane Roche

About the event

Energy Systems Innovation Center will host an in-person seminar entitled, Harvest Hills Wind and the Development of Wind Energy Projects in Washington to be presented by Mr. Shane Roche, Steelhead Americas – a Vestas Company

Overview
Harvest Hills Wind is a planned wind energy generation project that will deliver low-cost, reliable power while driving economic growth in Whitman County. Harvest Hills Wind is being developed by Steelhead Americas, the North American development arm of Vestas—the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturer and a leading service provider. Once completed, Harvest Hills Wind will connect to the Avista transmission system, delivering up to 200 megawatts (MW) of electricity. Each of the 45 turbines planned for the site has a nameplate capacity of 4.5 MW. Wind projects provide landowners with steady, predictable income and create hundreds of jobs during manufacturing and construction, plus long-term service positions that support the local economy. Once operational, the project will generate tens of millions of dollars in new tax revenue for the local community. Rapidly expanding wind energy is a key part of meeting the state’s renewable energy requirements specified in the Clean Energy Transformation Act. Using the Harvest Hills Wind Project as an example, this presentation will cover the development process of wind energy projects in Washington. This includes site selection, requirements related to permitting, environmental studies, interconnection, queue entry and decommissioning.

Bio
Shane Roche was born and raised in Braintree, MA, just outside Boston. He studied physics at the George Washington University with a research focus on nuclear physics. He attended on a Navy ROTC scholarship and commissioned as a Nuclear Submarine Officer upon graduation. Shane served for five years in the Navy and was stationed in Bremerton, WA on the USS Connecticut, a nuclear-powered submarine. After finishing his naval service, he joined Vestas in 2020. He started out working in operations, managing repowers and major repair work. In 2022, Shane moved over to Steelhead, Vestas’ North American Development arm. There he has gained experience developing projects in MISO and WECC. He has been working in Whitman County on Harvest Hills Wind from the very beginning of the project.