With two companies recently announcing their intentions to build new wind farms in Floyd County, the Board of Supervisors wants to take a closer look at the ordinance regulating their possible construction.Â
In August, Supervisors heard from NextEra and Invenergy on projects to build about 170 wind turbines combined. Both companies target areas from Rudd and Floyd south towards Marble Rock and Rockford.
Board Chair Mark Kuhn has reached out to the North Iowa Area Council of Governments (NIACOG) for assistance in updating the County’s wind ordinance while working with the County’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
NIACOG’s John Robbins addressed the Supervisors during their regular meeting Monday, saying that the ordinance can consider more than just setback distances from property lines.
A group of Floyd County landowners has petitioned Supervisors to issue a moratorium on construction of new wind turbine farms, at least until the ordinance is updated.
Robbins said that process could take three-to-five months and would likely have little impact on the new wind farms in the meantime.
The Board took no action on a moratorium, but asked Robbins to come to their next meeting with proposed costs for NIACOG to work with the County.
