Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on May 23 directed the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council to reconsider its proposed restrictions on the Horse Heaven wind and solar project in southeast Washington.

Inslee’s order came three days after Scout Clean Energy formally appealed to EFSEC or Inslee to ease the restrictions to allow more wind turbines and solar panels on rolling hills near the Tri-Cities.

The Boulder, Colo., company warned the restrictions jeopardized the project and if left unchanged would kill Inslee’s legacy as a climate change champion. The restrictions include 2-mile buffers around Ferruginous hawk nests, even ones no longer occupied. Scout said that restriction and others would “gut” the project, reducing the project’s 1,150-megawatt generating capacity by more than half.

In a letter to EFSEC, Inslee directed the council to come up with a new recommendation within 90 days that narrows the restrictions to allow the wind and solar project to achieve its full or nearly full capacity.

“I strongly encourage the council to return to me their approval of this project application that appropriately prioritizes the state’s pressing clean energy needs,” Inslee wrote.

Scout had proposed erecting up to 231 turbines and covering more than 5,000 acres with solar panels, mostly on farmland leased from willing landowners. It would be the state’s largest renewable energy project.

EFSEC, whose members are drawn from state agencies, restricted the placing of turbines and solar panels to not only protect hawks, but also reduce impacts on Yakama Nation tribal resources and views. Eliminating turbines also would free up more air space for firefighting aircraft.

EFSEC’s approach was too broad, according to Inslee. The governor said he had looked at pictures and saw that turbines would be visible from a distance, but would not “loom over anyone’s home.”

“Washington state faces the stark reality that without a rapid buildout of new clean energy generation and transmission, the dependability of our electricity grid is at risk,” Inslee wrote.

“We must come to grips with the fact that we will need to adapt and accept relatively modest changes of our physical landscape in order to ensure continued reliable electricity service,” the letter reads.

Scout filed a petition Monday sharply critical of EFSEC’s recommendation, claiming it called into question Washington’s ability to authorize ambitious renewable energy projects.

Scout founder and CEO Michael Rucker said in a statement Thursday that the company appreciated Inslee’s leadership.

“We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with all potential project stakeholders to achieve Washington state’s goals for combatting climate change,” Rucker said.

In its petition, Scout accused EFSEC of downsizing the project on a whim. Other green energy developers are watching, according to Scout, which warned EFSEC’s recommendation would be the “death knell” for big projects, “killing the governor’s key legacy policy directive.”

Inslee has made climate change the signature issue of his administration. He has said the state needs to permit more green energy projects and can’t be deterred by local opposition.

EFSEC sent the recommendation to Inslee on April 29. The governor said he assembled a team of advisers to study reports on the project.

Inslee agreed with Scout that agriculture and residential development have already driven Ferruginous hawks from the hills.

“Based on my review of the record and potential impacts, mitigation measures that substantially reduce the generation capacity of the proposed project should not be required,” the governor wrote.

The project was opposed at hearings last summer by Benton County, the Yakama Nation and Tri-City CARES, a citizens group concerned about the project’s impact on the landscape. Scout proposes to put over turbines over 25 miles.

In its petition, Scout said the Horse Heavens wind and solar project was designed to generate enough electricity to replace a fossil fuel-powered plan.

“The project is large. That is the point — to be a meaningful step forward toward meeting the state’s clean energy goals,” the petition reads.

Brookfield Renewable Partners, a Canadian company, owns Scout.