The Buchanan County Planning and Zoning Commission proposed a total commercial ban for wind turbines in a meeting Wednesday night. This was proposed after discussions regarding potential restrictions, and what would be the setback for the wind turbines, which initially was between a half-mile and a mile.

Zoning/Planning Missouri

The purpose of the moratorium, as expressed by the residents during the Feb. 12 meeting, is to give the county a chance to evaluate and revise its wind energy regulations. The matter of wind regulations arose as residents found out about the Rail Tie Wind Project. Powered by a Houston-based renewable energy company named ConnectGen, the project will be located on private and state lands near U.S. Highway 287 outside of Tie Siding — if the project passes federal, state and county permitting processes.

Zoning/Planning Wyoming

The Marshall County Commissioners imposed a moratorium on the development of Solar Farms on property within the county during their meeting Monday. While the current zoning ordinance was approved in 2007 and revised in 2017 to add solar energy system standards, there was no consideration for Solar Farms which would be greater than 10 acres.

Zoning/Planning Indiana

Fifty concerned landowners showed up at the Albany Fire Station in Whiteside County on Feb. 10, sharing fears of loss of land values and quality of life when a wind farm is built in agricultural neighborhoods. Eric Smith has leased 225 acres between Kennedy, Stone, Archer, and Benson roads to Gipper Wind Farm, a division of Scout Clean Power LLC of Colorado. A tower has been constructed to determine if there is enough velocity to power 75-125 generators (turbines).

Zoning/Planning Illinois

Whistleblowers in the Campo band of Mission Indians claim that their tribal leadership pushed through approval of a massive wind project during an improperly noticed meeting. They have now collected enough signatures to overturn that approval with a revote.  But despite the Feb. 13th deadline to notify tribal members of a meeting to revote on the controversial project, several tribal members say they have not received any such notice.   

Impact on People Zoning/Planning California

“The Siting Board will meet to consider what appears to be a request by Invenergy for new rules governing Canisteo, Bluestone, Alle-Catt and other large-scale wind and solar projects operating or planned in New York,” Abraham said in an email to members of the groups. “It may be that rules will be changed regarding how local laws are applied,” Abraham said. The meeting will start at 9:45 a.m. Thursday.

Zoning/Planning New York

The town board voted 3-2 last month to void the town’s 2019 wind law, which officials said left the town’s 2007 wind law in effect. That law includes a 450-foot height requirement, while the developer of the proposed Alle-Catt Wind Farm, which would include turbines in Farmersville, wants to install 600-foot turbines. The 2020 Farmersville Wind Energy Facilities Local Law includes greater setbacks from homes and property lines — 3,000 feet to a mile, a lower turbine height and more restrictive noise requirements. According to the supervisor, it was modeled after a local law in Enfield, N.Y. that board members considered more protective.

Zoning/Planning New York

NextEra, a multi-billion-dollar corporation and their high paid attorneys in their full-time occupations have attempted to bribe and then to intimidate our city into discontinuing their fight to protect our beautiful town. I am disgusted with NextEra’s intimidation of our small community. Their accusations and threats of litigation are simply bullying tactics.

Zoning/Planning Kansas

On Thursday night, the ZBA rejected the special-use permit by a 5-1 vote after 17 nights of testimony from Tradewind Energy and opponents of the proposed Alta Winds Farm project for the 12,000-acre project in Barnett, Wapella and Clintonia townships. The permit will be forwarded to the county board but a date on when the board will consider the permit has not yet been announced.

Zoning/Planning Illinois

Myers Shearing said the 455-foot tip height was the smallest industrial turbine available. One of the prior objections of the planning board with the 600-foot height limit was that was not in keeping with the natural character of the county and would be visible far past the town line. The greater setbacks — 3,000 feet from a property line or residence and lower noise levels 42 dBA instead of 50 dBA under the old law. The 2019 law was 1.2 times tip height to a property line.

Zoning/Planning New York

Panel also denies appeal filed by neighbors and two organizations challenging the project to install 29 towers

Zoning/Planning California

Faced with the prospect of a wind farm south of North Platte, county officials are considering tougher requirements to decommission wind turbines, Lincoln County Zoning Administrator Judy Clark told the county commissioners Monday. Proposed revisions have been unanimously approved by the planning commission. One provision would require a wind farm developer to post financial assurance that the turbines will be removed when that time comes.

Zoning/Planning Nebraska

The solar project in rural western Spotsylvania County is underway, and some neighbors are finding problems with how construction is being handled.

Zoning/Planning Virginia

The Farmersville Town Board will meet in special session Monday to conduct a work session on the environmental assessment form (EAF) for the new proposed Wind Law.

Zoning/Planning New York

Prairie Wind Watchers is the group spearheading the requested amendments to Gage County’s wind regulations. The group is focusing on two specific changes it would like to see made by the county. A primary concern is increasing current setback requirements that stipulate turbines must be 3/8 miles from residences. The group is asking that figure to be increased to one mile.

Zoning/Planning Nebraska

Opposition to the proposed industrial-scale lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) at the dead end of Foster Hill Road has grown fiercer. On Tuesday, the roughly 100 residents turning out to the Littleton Opera House put both the applicant and the Zoning Board of Adjustment on the hot seat during a public hearing that was again continued, until March 24. ...The system would store electrical energy using specialized battery store containers and would go on 13 of the 27 wooded acres owned by Aaron Scott DeAngelis, who would lease the site to LITUS. The utility-scale batteries, in 96 containers, each 40-feet-long and 8-feet-wide and spaced 15 feet apart, would be charged at night at a lower price, temporarily stored, and sold back to the electric grid as needed at higher price.

Zoning/Planning New Hampshire

The current ordinance requires there to be 1500 feet between a wind turbine and any home on neighboring property. Supervisor Jon Herzberg said increasing the setback much more would effectively end wind energy possibilities in the county. “A 1600-feet setback is about the most you can go, otherwise the wind energy company won’t come in,” he said.

Zoning/Planning Iowa

Changes could be coming to Page County's wind turbine ordinance. The Page County Board of Supervisors are scheduled to consider an amendment to the county's wind energy conversion system ordinance at its regular meeting Tuesday morning at the county courthouse.

Zoning/Planning Iowa

VALLEY VIEW – The Hegins Township Planning Commission on Thursday did not make a decision, but instead, continued its public hearing on a curative amendment to the township zoning ordinance.

Zoning/Planning Pennsylvania

The saga of the two planned wind farm projects will continue into the spring, according to Carbon County Planning and Zoning Director Sid Fox. He said as much on Tuesday morning at the first Carbon County Commissioners’ meeting of 2020, when the board rejected the conditional use permit applications for the Lucky Star and Two Rivers wind farms.

Zoning/Planning Wyoming