The Kittitas County Board of Adjustment voted in favor of the solar project this week, paving the way for construction to begin. Once it's fully operational, the solar facility will be one of the world's largest - and it will accrue a number of benefits to Cle Elum residents.
Not only will it provide them with clean, carbon-free power, but it will create jobs and generate tax revenue, too. Teanaway Solar Reserve, as the project is known, will result in the creation of 200 construction jobs and 35 permanent jobs; it will also produce $1.5 million per year in property tax revenue for the city.
The construction of TSR, Cle Elum city manager Matt Morton said, will "translate into investment in our communities, jobs for our working families and opportunities for our children."
The project also hints at the viability of solar technology in almost any climate. While Washington is well-known for clouds and rain, solar power still works well in the state - well enough that it will soon be home to one of the biggest solar arrays on the planet.
