State legislators sent the Floyd County Board of Supervisors a letter last week urging them to hold off on the third reading of the County’s ordinance regulating the construction of wind energy systems.
During their meeting Tuesday (11.25), Supervisors discussed the letter by State Representative Charley Thomson and State Senator Sandy Salmon. They requested suspending the ordinance process until the County addresses key issues, including adoption of statewide Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) guidelines by the Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC).
Merlin Bartz, on behalf of Invenergy, looking to develop a wind farm of about 40 turbines in western Floyd County, argued waiting for the IRP would, in essence, put a hold on wind energy in Iowa.
Former Floyd County Supervisor Mark Kuhn challenged the letter’s claim that legislation regarding IRP’s, under House File 483, had advanced in the House.
Kuhn urged Supervisors to get clarification from Thomson and Salmon. Shortly before 5 pm Tuesday, on his Representative Charles M. Thomson Facebook page, Thomson issued a statement, “Oops, sorry about that typo,” noting the letter’s reference to House File 483, from the 2025 legislative session, should have House File 2554, from the 2023 legislative session
Board Chair Boyd Campbell, who sat on a mediation committee to develop compromises to the County’s wind ordinance, said Bartz and Kuhn were trying to create “confusion” over an issue he is still learning more about.
Campbell added that it was unfortunate Thomson and Salmon were not at the meeting to defend themselves or address questions, with Supervisors to hold a wind ordinance meeting next Tuesday (12.02) night at 6 pm on the Floyd County Fairgrounds.
