The Senate's Finance Committee had approved a version of the bill that included rules for permits to build wind farms in the N.C. mountains on Tuesday. But in floor debate Wednesday afternoon, Rep. Steve Goss, D-Watauga, attempted to amend the bill to allow more wind development in the high country.

After objections from other mountain legislators, the Senate recessed and returned to session late in the afternoon to announce the bill would be referred back to committee.

At issue, as it has been almost all along, was whether to allow wind development on mountain ridges.

Ridge Law

Differences among Western senators last week had led the Senate Agricultural, Environmental and Natural Resources Committee to adopt a bill that allowed permits only along the N.C. coast.

Bill sponsor Sen. Charles Albertson, D-Duplin, had expected mountain legislators would work out their differences.

This week it appeared the issue had been settled. Finance adopted a bill that prohibited windmill construction that would violate the state's 1983 Ridge Law. That law, a reaction to a high-rise condominium built on a peak near Beech Mountain, prohibits tall structures on the state's ridges.

Since commercial windmills are as much as 30 stories tall, they would not be allowed on mountaintops under that bill.

But some of the state's best wind resources are along the ridgeline.

Discussion next week

In Wednesday's afternoon session, Goss proposed amending the bill. He wanted to allow private windmills on the ridgeline.* And he wanted to let local governments set rules that would allow utility-scale windmills on the ridges, if they chose. He said it would support reasonable wind development.

Albertson supported the change. Paul Quinlan of the N.C. Sustainable Energy Association says Democratic Sens. Martin Nesbitt, Joe Sam Queen and John Snow objected. They worried development would damage the ridges.

They wanted the bill to keep the finance wording that banned large construction on ridges and limited windmills for personal use to no more than 100 feet.

Ultimately, that led to the decision to refer the bill back to Albertson's agricultural and environmental committee.

N.C. SEA notes that the bill is not on the committee's agenda for discussion today. It could be discussed at the committee's next regular meeting Tuesday morning.