Washington Wind Farm Powers 70,000 Homes by 2028

A reimagined wind farm in Washington state will soon deliver clean power to tens of thousands of homes, pushing the Pacific Northwest closer to its carbon-free future.

Puget Sound Energy signed a deal with Avangrid to acquire energy from the Big Horn I wind project in Klickitat County. The 199.5-megawatt facility will generate enough electricity to power approximately 70,000 homes each year when it comes online in fall 2028.

The project isn't new, but it's getting a complete makeover. Big Horn I first started spinning turbines back in 2006, and now Avangrid is upgrading its components to like-new condition, extending its useful life for decades to come.

"We are excited that this latest agreement with Avangrid helps us meet some of the most ambitious clean energy laws in the nation while delivering on our customer's expectations," said Craig Pospisil, Senior Vice President at PSE. The deal gets the utility about 12% closer to meeting its 2030 clean energy targets.

The project shows how renewable energy can coexist with rural life. While Big Horn I sits on nearly 14,300 acres, it only takes 1 to 2 percent of that land out of agricultural production, leaving the vast majority available for farming and ranching.

The Ripple Effect

This partnership represents more than just clean electrons flowing into homes. It sustains local jobs, generates tax revenue for Klickitat County, and builds on a reliable working relationship between PSE and Avangrid that includes three other successful wind projects.

Washington's transformation is happening faster than many expected. PSE has grown its clean energy portfolio from just 26% in 2019 to 58% today. The utility kicked coal completely out of its electric supply in December 2025, meeting the first major milestone of Washington's Clean Energy Transformation Act ahead of schedule.

Since 2019, PSE has added more than 3.3 gigawatts of renewable resources to its long-term contracts. About a third of that capacity is already operating, with the rest coming online by 2027 and beyond.

The Big Horn I upgrade received approval from Klickitat County in August 2025 under the existing conditional use permit, smoothing the path for construction to begin. Avangrid operates more than 11 gigawatts of generation capacity nationwide, bringing deep experience to the table.

Washington is proving that ambitious climate goals and reliable energy can go hand in hand, one wind turbine at a time.