August 25, 2010
Iowa

Waverly files suit over wind turbine accident

JEANNINE ANDERSON, www.naylornetwork.com 25 August 2010

Waverly Light and Power in Iowa is in a legal fight with a construction company over a partially built wind turbine that fell to the ground last winter.

The wind turbine, named Cannon II, fell down in February 2009 after the rotor and blades started spinning and could not be stopped. The area had been evacuated and no one was hurt when the rotor and blades hit the earth. Another turbine at the site, Cannon I, was unhurt and is producing wind power.

The municipal utility filed suit on June 21 of this year in the Iowa District Court for Bremer County after attempts to reach a resolution with the construction company, Industrial Contract Services, were unsuccessful. The construction company has filed a counterclaim against Waverly for the amount the company says it is owed for the Cannon I wind turbine.

Waverly Power and Light stopped all payment to ICS after the accident at Cannon II, said Sheila Boeckman, utility relations manager.

“Waverly Light and Power feels it is in the best interest of our customers to pursue the matter,” said Diane Johnson, general manager. “To ensure the integrity of the legal process, the Waverly Light and Power board of trustees will meet in closed session each time issues pertaining to the ongoing case need to be discussed,” she said.

The utility said it remains committed to using renewable energy. Earlier this year, a small solar array was installed at the WLP building and the utility began purchasing a small amount of renewable energy from its supplier, the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska. Combined with these and the other two wind turbines, Skeets 4 and Cannon I, the utility has produced 3.5% of Waverly’s needs with renewable energy so far this year, the utility said Aug. 12.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/08/25/waverly-files-suit-over-wind-turbine-accident/