Clipper Windpower, Inc. (Clipper Windpower) entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (Colville ) to pursue joint wind energy development activities within the Colville Reservation in Washington. Under the terms of the agreement, Clipper Windpower and Colville will work together to identify efficient wind energy resource areas within tribal lands with the intention of developing future wind energy generation projects.
The agreement also provides the Tribe with an opportunity to participate fully in the development process. The benefits of the relationship include the potential to own a large part of the project, and to employ tribal members in the operation of the facility.
“We are delighted to support Colville as it pursues wind energy development on Tribal Lands” said John Lamb, president and chief executive officer of Clipper Windpower. “With the growing global demand for pollutionfree electricity, and the ability to preserve open space while generating long-term economic benefits, wind energy development offers ‘win-win’ opportunities for Native American Indian Tribes. We look forward to building a strong working relationship with the Colville Nation as we identify and optimize its wind energy potential.”
“Our goal is to bring benefit to Colville while protecting and preserving our lands” said Ernie Clark of Colville. “We are pleased to work with Clipper, a pioneering company with extensive experience in developing world-class wind energy projects, and look forward to working through the wind resource and other feasibility studies currently underway. The Tribe is very excited about possible renewable energy developments, including wind.”
In July 2008, wind resource studies were initiated by Clipper Windpower and Colville on Tribal Lands, including the installation of three 60 meter anemometer towers which will provide wind speed and direction data necessary for the completion of wind development feasibility assessments. Further pre-development feasibility studies, including thorough environmental impact assessments will be conducted as development activities progress.
The Colville Indian Reservation spans 1.4 million acres of North Central Washington primarily in Okanogan and Ferry counties. It is bordered to the east by the Okanogan River and to the west and south by Lake Roosevelt and the Columbia River.