September 27, 2006
Minnesota
Minnesota
The wind farm will wait.
The Trempealeau County Board of Supervisors voted late Monday to approve a six-month moratorium on commercial wind farms. The decision came after a group of local investors approached the county earlier this month with a request to build four to six turbines on land two miles northwest of Ettrick, Wis.
Kevin Lien, the county’s zoning director, has said the county needs the time to research and write an ordinance that addresses large turbines and wind farms. The county currently only has ordinances for residential-scale turbines.
The county also will study turbines in preparation for addressing nearby residents’ concerns.
The investment group, AgWind Energy Partners LLC, hopes to have the turbines up by 2008, but that will depend on whether the county passes an ordinance and how soon the group can lock up other details, including a contract to sell electricity to a company or transmission line owner.
In the meantime, the group plans to erect a weather tower at the site to measure wind speed, direction and frequency. It plans to ask neighboring landowners to invest in the project by leasing land for additional turbines and hopes the farm could grow as large as 15 turbines.
By Brian Voerding | Winona Daily News
Reporter Brian Voerding can be reached at (507) 453-3514 or at bvoerding@winonadailynews.com.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2006/09/27/wind-farm-plans-put-on-hold/