No applications for conditional-use permits in connection with commercial wind turbine projects will be accepted for an indefinite period, said Rick Witte McPherson County Administrator. The move was done to allow a comprehensive review of the impact commercial wind turbines may have on the county’s new E-911 emergency system.
No applications for conditional-use permits in connection with commercial wind turbine projects will be accepted for an indefinite period, said Rick Witte McPherson County Administrator. The move was done to allow a comprehensive review of the impact commercial wind turbines may have on the county’s new E-911 emergency system.
McPherson, KS -- All three McPherson Country commissioners voted earlier this week for a moratorium on applications for conditional-use permits that would allow the construction of wind turbines in the county.
No applications for conditional-use permits in connection with commercial wind turbine projects will be accepted for an indefinite period, said Rick Witte McPherson County Administrator.
The move was done to allow a comprehensive review of the impact commercial wind turbines may have on the county’s new E-911 emergency system that is being installed as a replacement for EDACS.
The current system is about 24 years old and will not be maintained after 2019.
Harris Corp, the provider for the new system, will be conducting testing …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]McPherson, KS -- All three McPherson Country commissioners voted earlier this week for a moratorium on applications for conditional-use permits that would allow the construction of wind turbines in the county.
No applications for conditional-use permits in connection with commercial wind turbine projects will be accepted for an indefinite period, said Rick Witte McPherson County Administrator.
The move was done to allow a comprehensive review of the impact commercial wind turbines may have on the county’s new E-911 emergency system that is being installed as a replacement for EDACS.
The current system is about 24 years old and will not be maintained after 2019.
Harris Corp, the provider for the new system, will be conducting testing to make sure there is 95 percent coverage in the county for all E-911 traffic.
They recommended the county get their towers up first, Witte said. He said the earliest this will be done in March of 2020.
Witte said the commission wanted to be sure the county’s new emergency system would work as it should — and wanted to make sure that it would not be harmed by interference from wind turbines.
“The county has a $7 million investment in this project. And the commisisoners don’t want to have a $7 million project being built and then all of a sudden, their coverage is not acceptable.”