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Wind Power News: Missouri
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational mission to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law. The original articles, links to which are provided, may have additional links and photos and other media that were not included here.
Missouri Governor Parson signs four bills into law
Today, Governor Mike Parson signed four bills into law. SB 5 – Relating to Taxation: Extends the sunset for the Advanced Industrial Manufacturing (AIM) zones program from August 28, 2023 to August 28, 2030. SB 44 – Relating to Public Utilities: Prohibits local governments from banning certain types and sources of energy, modifies provisions relating to service territories of retail electric service providers, increases the competitive bidding process threshold from 10 to 20 percent of external expenditures for certain water . . . Complete story »
Wind farm regulations approved unanimously by Boone County Planning & Zoning
A final draft of proposed zoning rules for wind farms won the unanimous approval of the Boone County Planning & Zoning Commission on Thursday and will now go to the Boone County Commission for another public hearing and vote. The commission voted to adopt the rules, which come as the alternative energy company RWE is acquiring leases from Boone County landowners near Harrisburg to erect wind turbines on their property. RWE hopes to establish a large-scale wind farm in northwest . . . Complete story »
Final draft of wind farm rules scheduled for Thursday vote
The final drafts of wind farm and wind turbine regulations for Boone County have been published ahead of a scheduled Planning and Zoning Commission discussion and vote Thursday night. The commission has made some tweaks to its proposed rules for wind energy conversion overlay districts and for conditional use permits that would allow wind turbines in the county. Those changes came after a series of three public hearings when residents offered their feedback on an initial draft of rules that . . . Complete story »
As Kansas, Missouri keep building wind, some communities look to regulate
FRANKFORT – Austin Cline is the third generation to farm his family’s land in Marshall County. His home, added onto many times over, sits at the edge of 1,000 acres where he raises cattle and bales hay. From his driveway, he has a more than 180-degree view of neighbors’ land and native prairie grass. But by next year, he expects the horizon to be dominated by commercial wind turbines, some as close as 4,000 feet. He and his neighbors will be . . . Complete story »
For power line opponents, hope hasn’t dimmed
Joe Kalin has fond memories of growing up in the Buchanan County countryside. His father came from Switzerland and turned 87 acres near Faucett, Missouri, into a successful dairy farm, where Kalin lived and worked with four brothers and a sister. Before passing it to the next generation, Kalin’s father instilled a deep appreciation for the land and its productive capacity. “My parents both come from the old country,” said Kalin, now 84. “My father, he loved to farm. It . . . Complete story »
Power line sets dangerous precedent
On a recent afternoon in mid-April, hundreds of Missourians rallied at the Missouri State Capitol to urge the legislature to protect their property rights. The rally was sparked by an egregious abuse of eminent domain in northern Missouri. Several years ago, a group of investors announced plans to build a high-voltage wind energy transmission line from western Kansas to Indiana. They named this proposed “merchant transmission line” the Grain Belt Express. Then the project changed hands. Like the first proprietors, . . . Complete story »
Boone County P&Z Commission hosts final public hearing on wind farms
Correction This story has been corrected to say that Rhonda Proctor is the Perche Township representative to the Boone County Planning and Zoning Commission. The third Boone County Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing for the proposed wind farm regulations took place Thursday night in Ashland. Twenty people attended, and six spoke at the Central Office Board Room of Southern Boone County Schools. Four of the speakers, Susan Goodman, Terrie Nagel, Greg Toul and Tom Weislocher, had spoken at both . . . Complete story »
Boone County Planning & Zoning Commission holds final wind farm public hearing
ASHLAND – The Boone County Planning and Zoning Commission held its final public hearing to discuss restrictions of wind farms in Boone County on Thursday. According to previous KOMU 8 reporting, Boone County Commissioner Janet Thompson said wind turbines have been successful in Missouri for areas with smaller populations, such as counties outside of Boone. “What we’re looking at is making sure that the people that own the big tracts of land aren’t the only voices in the conversation,” Thompson . . . Complete story »
Opinion: Property rights battle coming down to the wire
On a recent afternoon in mid-April, hundreds of Missourians rallied at the Missouri Capitol to urge the legislature to protect their property rights. The rally was sparked by an egregious abuse of eminent domain in northern Missouri. Several years ago, a group of investors announced plans to build a high-voltage wind energy transmission line from western Kansas to Indiana. They named this proposed “merchant transmission line” the Grain Belt Express. Then the project changed hands. Like the first proprietors, the . . . Complete story »
Residents bring mixed views on wind turbines to second of three county P&Z hearings
The Boone County Planning and Zoning Commission held its second of three public hearings for proposed wind farm regulations Tuesday in Harrisburg High School’s gym. The meeting drew a crowd of around 50 people and gave the floor to 13 citizen speakers. The majority of speakers were against the proposed zoning regulations about how and where turbines can be built, citing areas that needed revising. There was mixed support for the general idea of wind turbines in the county. When . . . Complete story »
