In November 2023, Floyd County Supervisors enacted a moratorium putting a hold on new applications or permits for the development of wind farms while the County worked to revise the ordinance regulating their construction.
That ordinance is still not finalized and, during their regular meeting Monday (03.17), Supervisor Gloria Carr moved to extend that moratorium for a fifth time.
Still, Carr also noted that the moratorium could be ended sooner.
The wind energy/battery storage systems ordinance is currently being held up as a Wind Energy Workshop Group negotiates a possible compromise to previous amendments that would make it virtually impossible to build any new wind turbines in the County.
Supervisor Boyd Campbell is part of that group and, while he cannot divulge specifics of the workshop sessions, he’s hopeful that recommendations by the lead mediator will be coming soon. That would open the door for a possible third reading of the ordinance to make any changes official.
Supervisors had previously voted to hold the third reading no later than March 3rd, with the wind moratorium to expire March 17th. Those dates have now both passed and the waiting game on what’s next for windy energy farms continues for two companies (Invenergy; NextEra) looking to develop wind farms of about 40 turbines each in western sections of the county.
