April 17, 2018
Ohio

Counties tout industry study in fighting state’s wind turbine boundaries

By Ohio Public Radio | wcbe.org

County leaders are protesting the state’s strict boundary lines for wind turbines.

They say thwarting any new wind farm project is forcing them to miss out on billions of dollars in economic development and tax revenue. And they are using a new study to boost their argument. Ohio Public Radio’s Andy Chow reports.

An industry-backed group called the Wind Energy Foundation reports the state is missing out on as much as $4 billion in economic development because of what it calls roadblocks to new wind projects.

As Susan Munroe with the Van Wert area Chamber of Commerce explains, counties like Seneca and Sandusky can’t get projects approved.

Munroe: “Some of us have experienced that promise of economic opportunity with windfarm development and some of us have been denied.”

A bill in the Senate would decrease the setbacks. Supporters of the current setbacks say it benefits landowners who don’t want turbines near their property.

Ohiio Senate President Larry Obhof says he’d like to consider changing the setbacks as part of the bill to change the state’s renewable energy requirements into optional goals.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/04/17/counties-tout-industry-study-in-fighting-states-wind-turbine-boundaries/