The California Energy Commission has denied the Opt-In Certification application for the proposed Fountain Wind Project, a 205 MW wind energy facility planned on approximately 2,855 acres of leased forest land in unincorporated Shasta County near Burney, California. The decision was issued on December 19, 2025, following a review of the project’s environmental, land use, and community impacts.
The Fountain Wind Project application, filed by Fountain Wind LLC in January 2023 under the CEC’s Opt-In Certification Program, proposed the construction of 48 wind turbines, each up to 610 feet tall. The CEC assessed the project through a Staff Assessment and Draft Environmental Impact Report, which considered potential environmental effects in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act and the Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act.
The CEC’s findings cited several significant and unavoidable impacts that could not be mitigated, including: potential mortality of threatened or endangered species; increased wildfire risk; permanent conversion of 518 acres of forest land; visual impacts; effects on cultural and tribal resources; conflicts with Shasta County zoning and timber harvest regulations; and aerial hazards affecting firefighting operations. The Commission also noted that the project was not necessary to address local electricity reliability needs.
Although the project could have contributed to California’s renewable energy goals and provided economic benefits, including local jobs and property tax revenue, the CEC determined that these benefits did not outweigh the unmitigable environmental and land use impacts.
The CEC also retained jurisdiction over a separate dispute between Fountain Wind LLC and Shasta County regarding reimbursement for the county’s review of the project application. This dispute will be addressed separately by the CEC Executive Director.
The denial of the Fountain Wind Project does not set a precedent for other wind or energy projects and reflects the CEC’s assessment of site-specific impacts at this location.
