(Sioux City, IA) — The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors is moving forward with an updated ordinance requiring far more distance between wind turbines and residences. It’s a move that MidAmerican Energy says will likely derail its plan to build a wind farm in Woodbury County. Daniel Hair of Hornick says the wind farm would be disruptive — he led a petition drive that more than 700 county residents signed, asking supervisors to change the ordinance. It currently requires at least 12-hundred-50 feet of separation between a residence and a wind turbine, and the new proposal would require 25 hundred feet. Brenda Holtz is a landowner who opposes expanding the distance, saying it takes away property owners’ ability to decide what to do with their land. The board will hold two more public hearings before taking a final vote on its wind ordinance change.
