October 24, 2014
Ohio
Ohio
Board needs time to reconsider wind farm; ‘The more people know about these turbines, the less they like them’
Tom Jackson | Sandusky Register | Oct 24, 2014 | www.sanduskyregister.com
Tom Jackson | Sandusky Register | Oct 24, 2014 | www.sanduskyregister.com
The state board that approved a proposed wind farm in southern Huron County has signaled that it needs more time to reconsider its decision.
The Ohio Power Siting Board on Wednesday granted an application for a rehearing that Omega Crop Company had filed in September. But the procedural move doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be another hearing, a board spokesman said.
Omega is asking the board to reconsider its August decision to let the wind farm move forward.
On August 25, the power siting board voted to allow 6011 Greenwich Windpark, LLC, a subsidiary of Windlab Developments USA, to build the Greenwich Windpark. It would consist of up to 25 wind turbines in Greenwich Township, covering 4,650 acres of land leased from 26 landowners, east of Greenwich and just north of Richland County. The turbines would be up to 490.5 feet tall, with rotor diameters of up to 383 feet.
The board’s Wednesday action does not mean it is going to grant opponents another hearing to make their case, said Matthew Butler, a spokesman for the Ohio Power Siting Board.
Rather, it’s just a procedural move that signals that the 30 days that have passed since Omega filed its appeal has not been enough time for the board to reconsider Omega’s arguments.
The board is meeting Monday, but the Greenwich Windpark is not on the agenda, Butler said. Another meeting has not yet been scheduled, he said.
Omega is a member of Greenwich Neighbors United, the local group opposing the wind farm.
Kevin Ledet, chairman of Greenwich Neighbors United, said he’s pleased the power siting board is taking time to consider the issues that have been raised. He said opponents of the wind farm should continue to write to the board and to local officials about their concerns.
“The more people know about these turbines, the less they like them,” Ledet said. “We need to be persistent in helping other people understand why this wind farm can’t sensibly be crammed into the area the wind farm has targeted for development.”