March 20, 2007
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Although wind energy is an important part of Gov. Ed Rendell’s push toward clean energy, interfering with a local decision to reject wind energy “is not the state’s business,” state Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Yablonsky said Monday.
“We have a model ordinance, but we are not going to pressure people on the local level to do something they don’t think they should do,” he said in response to a question regarding the wind farm that was proposed on Laurel Hill in Jackson and McIntyre townships.
Yablonsky said he is familiar with the situation and knows that an appeal has been filed in court regarding the county Zoning Hearing Board rejection of the wind farm developer’s request for a special exception.
Yablonsky said the board’s rejection is the first that he has heard of since the Gov. Ed Rendell took office four years ago.
Yablonsky said neither he nor the governor are discouraged by the rejection, adding that since the issue is still in the hands of a judge, it could still be approved.
Other projects have been approved elsewhere in the state, he said.
“To be fair, we’ve had some (wind farms) go forward already,” he said. “We are seeing communities becoming more accepting of this.”
By David Thompson
20 March 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/03/20/yablonsky-interfering-with-local-wind-farm-determination-not-states-business/