(Red Oak) The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors accepted a Planning and Zoning Commission recommendation for an indefinite moratorium for the Wind Energy Conversion System turbine project in Montgomery County.
Supervisor Chair Mike Olson says the moratorium is an extension of the original motion for the moratorium. The supervisors can pass an indefinite moratorium with no time limit but still have to work toward an ordinance because the supervisors cannot regulate a project without a resolution; he says the motion doesn’t mean the action is permanent.
Supervisor Donna Robinson says passing the ordinance does not mean the moratorium is permanent or set in stone. However, Robinson stated she serves on the board to represent her constituents.
Mid-American Energy proposes building a Wind Turbine in Pottawattamie County extending into western Montgomery County. Currently, 15,000 acres are signed up for the project. Half of those acres are signed up in Montgomery County. The project director, appearing at Wednesday’s meeting, says the project would include 90 to 140 wind turbines in Pottawattamie and Montgomery County. This translates to approximately 99 to 142 million dollars in lease agreements with participating landowners. It also equates to about 180 million dollars in property taxes to the counties where the wind turbines would be located, which is 4.7 million dollars annually. Mid-American Energy does not have the right to exercise eminent domain on these projects or build the turbines without the owner’s consent. He asked the supervisors to draft a balanced Wind Ordinance that addresses the concerns of the constituents who attended the meeting and others in the County.
