The Fountain Wind Project has been denied by the Shasta County Planning Commission following a public hearing that lasted well into the night. The project 8 miles west of Burney would install up to 71 turbines and produce up to 216 Megawatts of power. At a height of up to 679 feet, they would be much larger than the existing Hatchet Ridge Wind Farm. The turbines would be installed on land leased from timber companies. One of the arguments that swayed the commission was that aerial firefighting would be nearly impossible in the event of a wildfire. Other arguments came from residents who did not want the eyesore in their country neighborhood, and members of the Pit River Tribe who opposed the defamation of sacred lands. ConnectGEN, the company behind the project, tried to butter up the community last week when they announced nearly $2 Million in grants to various groups, including Cedar Creek Elementary School, the Sheriff’s Office, and the Pit River Tribe. Despite Tuesday night’s unanimous denial by the Planning Commission, an appeal to the Board of Supervisors is likely. ConnectGEN has information at fountainwind.com. The opposition group’s website is stopfw.com.