Second Reading of Amended Floyd County Wind Turbine Ordinance Tuesday (09.03)
After almost six hours of public comments over two nights on a revised ordinance regulating the construction of wind turbines in Floyd County, the Board of Supervisors began the first reading of the ordinance as formulated by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
However, during the process the night of August 6th, Supervisor Jim Jorgensen introduced several amendments, including increased setback distances, reduced height levels of the turbines, and limiting the number of wind turbines in the County to 70 total, including 50 already operated by MidAmerican Energy.
P&Z Chair Dean Tjaden expressed frustration by the direction of Jorgensen and Supervisor Dennis Keifer, who’s own amendments also put additional limits on wind turbines.
Representatives from Invenergy and NextEra Energy, two companies looking to develop wind farms of about 40 turbines each in the Marble Rock/Rockford area, said the amendments will kill their projects.
Jorgensen defended his amendments as an edict from the public.
Jorgensen also noted that a petition signed by about 500 people calling for a much stricter wind turbine ordinance speaks volumes to him..
Supervisor Chair Mark Kuhn was not in favor of many of the amendments, but on 2-1 vote (Jorgensen/Keifer YES and Kuhn NO), the first reading of the ordinance was passed.
The second reading of the wind ordinance is scheduled during a special Board meeting at 6:30 pm Tuesday (09.03) night in the EOC of the Floyd County Courthouse.
