Puget Sound Energy reported that a visible crack was discovered on a wind turbine tower at the Wild Horse Wind Facility on the afternoon of Thursday, July 10, and the company has de-energized the turbine and closed the site to public access while it investigates.

“That crack was located just above the flange of the first tower section,” Jennifer Galbraith, representing Puget Sound Energy, told the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council at its July 16 meeting. Galbraith said the company inspected the tower from a safe distance, de-energized the turbine and circuit, and initiated the site emergency response plan.

Galbraith said emergency responders from Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue and the Department of Natural Resources Kittitas Fire Unit were dispatched to the site and placed on standby in case of tower failure. “Safety is our top priority, and we have temporarily closed the site to public access, including the visitor center,” she said.

Galbraith also said PSC is monitoring the turbine and is coordinating with the turbine manufacturer to analyze options and to gather information about safely decommissioning the tower. Spencer Ainsworth, the plant manager of Wild Horse, and Christina Donegan from PSC Communications were on the line and available to answer council questions, Galbraith said.

Chair Kurt Beckett asked to confirm that the crack was found during a routine inspection; Galbraith answered that it was. The council did not take a formal action on the report; council members asked no further questions during the update.

Wild Horse is one of several facilities that report routine and nonroutine operational updates to the council. The council packet for July 16 noted routine reporting for other projects but identified the Wild Horse tower damage as a nonroutine safety incident requiring ongoing follow-up.