Taylor County Supervisors approve application for wind energy project

The court room at the Taylor County Courthouse was full on Thursday morning for a public hearing on discussion of application for wind energy conversion system project for Black Maple Wind, LLC.

After opening the public hearing, Matt Eberl with Apex Clean Energy spoke and said Black Maple Wind, LLC had submitted an application for a wind energy conversion permit to the Board of Supervisors at the beginning of August. He also said Apex has secured nearly 36,500 acres of land with nearly 150 individual voluntary agreements with landowners in Taylor County.

The facilities will include the turbines, access roads to get to the turbines, underground collection cables that lead from the turbines to the onsite electrical substation, up to two meteorological towers that will be permanent, one aircraft detection lighting system, and one permanent operations and maintenance building, and temporary construction facilities.

Apex signed their first leases with landowners in 2022. In 2023 took the first step to eventually allow the energy to connect to the grid. They have also done environmental and engineering studies in and around the project area.

Early in the summer they finalized the design and layout for the facilities. They have filed their final turbine locations with the Federal Aviation Administration. They now need to get approved for a wind energy conversion permit with Taylor County, obtain a permit from the Iowa Utilities Commission, obtain determinations of no hazards from the FAA for the turbines. They will then begin finalizing the engineering drawings. They still need to get an approved road use agreement and decommission plan with Taylor County as per the ordinance.

Apex Clean Energy had a third-party expert develop an estimate for the tax revenue that would be generated for Taylor County based on the ordinance for taxing wind turbines. That report shows that Black Maple Wind would generate over $198 million dollars to Taylor County over the 30-year period. He also said there will be up to 300 construction workers in the county and after construction there will be four full-time employees. Lastly, Eberl said that over 5 ½ million dollars will be paid to the landowners who signed up with them.

Next, Bree Anderson spoke a little about the application and what it contains. She is a senior director for project permitting with Apex Clean Energy. She said in the application there is organization, project design and decommissioning. Apex Clean Energy is looking at three different heights for turbine models due to setbacks. There are seven setback requirements in the Taylor County wind ordinance. As far as the decommissioning portion of the application Anderson says Black Maple Wind LLC is responsible for decommissioning in 30 years. There are three legally binding agreements, the landowner agreement, ordinance and the decommissioning agreement. Anderson also said they have included a draft performance bond.

Amanda Masilko asked if there is enough money in the assurance that if Black Maple Wind LLC files bankruptcy who covers Taylor County? Anderson said a performance bond protects the county. Kathy Hakes asked if a wind turbine is, for example struck by lightning, and the fiber glass goes into the ground, what happens to the removal of all the facilities and where do they go? Anderson said all those components are detailed in the decommissioning plan and Black Maple Wind LLC is responsible for all of the cost. Eberl said Black Maple Wind has liability insurance.

The Board of Supervisors allowed each person who wished to speak for two minutes to do so. Several in attendance spoke either for or against the building of the wind turbines.

Marcia Allen was the first to speak against the turbines. She asked for the Board of Supervisors to consider the following points. Huge, successful corporations should not need government subsidies or tax dollars. She said there is growing evidence that turbines affect weather changes. She said to ask where are the exact sites, who will be double checking measurements and to do their own research on decommissioning.

Marvis Northup asked if anyone in attendance had been released from their easement and asked why they were. No one responded.

Roger Vicker from Union County said that while landowners think they can do whatever they want on their land, there are laws and regulations that say they can’t because of the effect it may have on their neighbor.

Beverly Bender asked how much government subsidy is given to Black Maple Wind LLC to build the wind turbines? Eberl said there are subsidies offered by the government, but Black Maple Wind LLC currently has no subsidies. She also asked if the turbines are facing all the same direction or if they will be facing different directions? Eberl said they will be facing the wind. Bender went on to say that she has seen a vortex made by putting three fans all pointing in the same direction in a science experiment. Lastly, she asked if anyone knew what a constant blinking light would do to a person’s brain.

Ed Douglas spoke in favor of the construction of the turbines. His opinion that the building of these turbines is part of progress. He also said that there is a lot of money that the county will get from them.

Julie Cooper asked the Adams County Board of Supervisors how many businesses and/or people came to Adams County because of the wind turbines, she feels that instead of coming families moved because of the turbines.

Pam Calfee spoke in favor. She said besides the tax dollars that will be paid to the county, Black Maple Wind LLC has also given money to several organizations in Taylor County for projects.

Amanda Masilko asked the Board of Supervisors not to approve the application that day, but take time to look at the application. She had presented a petition to the Supervisors in the early days of the project who did not want the project.

Elijah Masilko said he is disappointed in his neighbors that signed up, but he asked if a berm could be put around the substation with trees as the substation is close to his house. He gave the Supervisors a picture for reference.

Bonnie Ramsey asked if a landowner has a wind turbine on their land, can a neighbor build a new facility on their land? She said what she is hearing is the common theme is money.

Sue Basler commented that the professionalism and communication from Apex Clean Energy has been good.

Monty Douglas said that with declining population affects the schools in Taylor County and by losing kids they are losing money for the budget. If the money isn’t coming in then eventually jobs will have to be cut.

Jason Hanshaw asked how much fossil fuel will be used and how much natural resources will they take?

Joe McNees has land leased and has rented land for farming where there is a windmill. He did see a little decrease in production but after a few years everything came back. He is also a first responder and sees the money that comes in.

Kim Kautz asked where the money from the current wind turbines is? She also asked if there was no money for the landowners who signed up, would they still approve of the project?

George Bledsoe lives in Glenwood, with family that live in Taylor County, and his point of view is that the grid needs the power. He said they lost power in Glenwood this summer because the system was overloaded.

Kathy Arevalo asked if the lights on the turbines will be proximity lights or constant flashing at night? Eberl said in the application, the lights will be aircraft detection lighting system, which means they will only flash when an aircraft comes within so far of the turbines. She also asked that any monies received are properly handled and given to those who really need it.

Marcia Nickell asked how many landowners will be living next to the windmill that is going on their property. Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Beggs said that without looking at the map, he was not able to answer that.

Beverly Bender asked if this vote could be put on a ballot for the residents to vote on? Auditor Henry said she hasn’t seen it done anywhere else with all of the meetings that she had attended. She said she could research it, but all of the other counties have had it voted on by their supervisors.

Kim Kautz asked where the money from the other 41 wind turbines has gone. Taylor County Auditor Judy Henry said that they received a lump sum of $820,000 and it goes into the general fund. This last project did not put it into a TIF. It goes into the school, and the city’s general funds.

Several who were against the construction of the wind turbines expressed opinions about decommissioning, the sound turbines make, health effects, the effects on wildlife, and infringement on the non-participating landowners, and destruction and beauty of the land.

Those who spoke in favor of the construction of the wind turbines made the comment that the tax dollars would help the county out greatly. Several wanted the Board of Supervisors to vote on Thursday, that day, to accept the application.

After the public hearing, the Board of Supervisors resumed their regular meeting. In this meeting there was discussion on the submission of the application by Black Maple Wind LLC. Some points that were brought up were the application meets the requirements of the county’s wind ordinance. A declining population means the county needs the money to come from somewhere, and this is a way to generate money. There isn’t a lot of industry wanting to come to Taylor County. It will help with the roads and the schools. Auditor Henry pointed out that the Lenox school and Lenox city’s levy is over 40% and that is twice what the people around Bedford pay. Supervisor Ron Fitzgerald said if they do approve the application they need to let people know where the money is going.

Supervisor Beggs said if they could TIF the money then they could tell what percent is going where, but Auditor Henry said the could would have to do an urban revitalization designation for the county and she said that could be more harmful to the county.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved to accept the application submitted by Black Maple Wind LLC. They will vote on a resolution at the September 3 meeting.