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Paustch stumps and Des Moines County residents oppose wind turbine project, push for stricter regulations
The Hawk Eye|Tracey Lamm|Aug 28, 2025
The Des Moines County NO! CWECS (commercial wind energy conversion system) presented the Des Moines County Board a list of changes to the current wind energy ordinance, that include increasing the setback from a wind turbine to the nearest non participating property and requirements that beef up financial protection for the county’s residents in the event a wind turbine would fail due to natural disaster or failure of the system due to lack of oversight and maintenance.
The Des Moines County NO! CWECS (commercial wind energy conversion system) presented the Des Moines County Board a list of changes to the current wind energy ordinance, that include increasing the setback from a wind turbine to the nearest non participating property and requirements that beef up financial protection for the county’s residents in the event a wind turbine would fail due to natural disaster or failure of the system due to lack of oversight and maintenance.
SPERRY — David Pautsch, R-Davenport, entered the primary race late during the last election cycle. His bid to unseat incumbent Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-District 1, Iowa, came up short, but he garnered 44% of the vote.
“We entered late, but we got 44%, not bad,” Pautsch said to a group gathered Tuesday evening near Mediapolis for a town hall he hosted on a proposed commercial wind energy project being proposed in northwest Des Moines County.
Pautsch has visited the site of a wind turbine disaster in Mechanicsville – the same location that raised alarm bells for Des Moines County Supervisor Tom Broeker. Neighbors of property owners in the northwest corner of the county who have entered easement agreements with AES-Big River Wind to …
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SPERRY — David Pautsch, R-Davenport, entered the primary race late during the last election cycle. His bid to unseat incumbent Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-District 1, Iowa, came up short, but he garnered 44% of the vote.
“We entered late, but we got 44%, not bad,” Pautsch said to a group gathered Tuesday evening near Mediapolis for a town hall he hosted on a proposed commercial wind energy project being proposed in northwest Des Moines County.
Pautsch has visited the site of a wind turbine disaster in Mechanicsville – the same location that raised alarm bells for Des Moines County Supervisor Tom Broeker. Neighbors of property owners in the northwest corner of the county who have entered easement agreements with AES-Big River Wind to begin the process of wind turbine installation has sparked a grassroots effort to put it to a stop.
Members of the Des Moines County NO! CWECS group were on hand at the town hall Tuesday and spoke to the crowd about the dangers they see inherent in wind turbines.
A proponent of nuclear energy, Pautsch said wind turbines as a means to produce power are a bad bet for the environment and the people who live near them. “It’s based on an environmental lie that is more of an ecological threat and only benefits the turbine company,” Pautsch said.
“(Donald) Trump has done a great job of depriving them of funding. Now it’s up to the county board to do their part to put in the regulations,” Pautsch said. He said the 50 million megawatts of power used annually in the state of Iowa could be replaced by the installation of 6.5 one gig nuclear reactors. “Nuclear power has taken a hit because of Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, but that happened years ago,” Pautsch said.
A nuclear reactor meltdown in both locations kicked off environmental disasters that took decades to clean up.
The Des Moines County NO! CWECS (commercial wind energy conversion system) presented the Des Moines County Board a list of changes to the current wind energy ordinance, that include increasing the setback from a wind turbine to the nearest non participating property and requirements that beef up financial protection for the county’s residents in the event a wind turbine would fail due to natural disaster or failure of the system due to lack of oversight and maintenance.
Melanie Patton, a founding member of the Henry County Watchmen, the group responsible for changes to Henry County’s wind energy ordinance spoke Tuesday night about the environmental, human and animal impacts of wind turbines and about individual property rights.
She said the county board is leaning on individual property rights as they consider proposed changes to strengthen the current ordinance. “The thing to remember is wind, solar and battery storage are all commercial, not private,” Patton said.
One of the proposed changes to the current ordinance is a requirement that any land used for cwecs development have a corn suitability ratio below 65. “We don’t need to turn prime farmland into an industrial site,” Patton added.
The Des Moines County Board of Supervisors placed a three month moratorium on all permit applications for the installation of wind, solar or battery storage system projects, pending the outcome of a series of work sessions where it combs the current ordinance and adds provisions for solar and battery storage systems not currently included in the original ordinance, enacted in July, 2023.
The current ordinance allows for a setback of 1,800 feet from the nearest dwelling. The group wants to see that change to 3,280 feet from the property line. Patton said the setback measure from the nearest dwelling limits the property rights of the owner not involved in the wind turbine project from being able to safely use their property in the way they see fit because of the potential for disaster the nearer it is to a turbine.
Rose Fischer, who lives on a family farm with her husband Tim near Pleasant Grove, said the project being proposed in Des Moines County could have up to 84 turbines, measuring as tall as 750 feet. “There currently aren’t any wind turbines at 750 feet in Iowa,” Fischer said.
The height for the proposed project was found on permits for clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Fischer spoke about the hazards of infra-sound exposure and shadow flicker created by an operating wind turbine. Shadow flicker is likened to repeatedly turning a light switch on and off again.
She also talked about the proximity of the project to the Des Moines County owned Big Hollow Recreation Area, which includes the Witte Observatory. Fischer said the lights from the wind turbines could interfere with the night sky that many flock to the Witte Observatory for viewing. The placement of the turbines nearby could also impede wildlife habitats on and near the recreation area.
Fischer said the board-imposed moratorium is set to expire on September 17 but could be extended by 30-day increments until the board decides on any proposed additions and changes to the current ordinance.
Tuesday’s town hall was held at the Harvest View Farms.