Beckley -- A proposed wind farm gets some countywide attention.
Tuesday the Raleigh County Commission hosted a public hearing as a way to educate community members.

Earl Long and his family want to install several wind turbines on their land in Pluto, but there are regulatory hoops to get through.

It could take three years before anything happens.

Long and representatives with the Jobs Project, the company looking at the potential for a wind farm in Raleigh County, met with the county commission to outline their ideas. Both stress this project is in the very early stages. Project Director, Eric Mathis, says, "We're not moving forward with a wind farm at this time. What we are doing is gauging community interest. Earl Long has expressed interest. And we're moving forward with that interest."

There are still many steps that have to be taken.

The biggest of which, to even get things moving, is getting everyone in the proposed wind farm area to agree to the idea.

If and when this proposed wind farm moves forward, multiple pubic hearings will be held, giving everyone in the community the chance to speak up.