Supervisors learn of wind energy project

During the public comment section of the Muscatine County Board of Supervisors meeting Monday, the board learned an energy company is attempting to secure property rights to build a series of wind turbines in the northwestern part of the county.

Two people objected to the proposed wind turbine project in the Muscatine/Louisa County areas. Several landowners in the area had been approached by a Canada-based company called Liberty Power about possibly installing wind turbines on their land. Sixty wind turbines are being proposed in Pike Township. The 6 MW turbines being proposed are 600 feet high. Each blade is 254 feet long. The average height of a turbine in Iowa is 275 to 300 feet.

“To me it is an experimental structure they want to build 60 of,” resident Rhonda Meredith said. “The 600 foot high turbines were developed for offshore areas on the ocean.”

She commented people in the area are concerned the company is pushing to get as many signatures as possible. Members of Liberty Power have said they plan to begin calling on property owners within the next two weeks.

There are also stipulations if the turbine is abandoned the large pilings that hold the turbine in place will remain in the ground.

Supervisor Danny Chick said that there is a process the company would have to go through to build wind turbines. He said the plans would have to be approved by the county engineer and the zoning department.

Supervisor Jeff Sorenson commented the developer had been “highly unusual,” saying in the past when electric companies had considered a project, the first step was to speak with the county planning and zoning commission to see if the project was even feasible.

The supervisors commented they had received a letter about the project only a couple days before an informational meeting for the residents.

Also during the meeting, the supervisors issued a disaster declaration because of flooding throughout the county.

While looking over the declaration, Sorenson commented the declaration had been written by Muscatine County Emergency Management Director Chris Jasper to assist the county in accessing state disaster funding. He said Gov. Kim Reynolds had already declared the county a disaster area, but having the local declaration was a good idea.

“This gives us access to other resources that might become available,” Sorenson said.