LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Proponents, opponents react to local wind farm bills 

Credit:  By John Davidson, Times Staff Writer | The Gadsden Times | Published: Friday, March 21, 2014 | www.gadsdentimes.com ~~

With local bills governing wind energy in Etowah and Cherokee counties signed into law Thursday, proponents and opponents are explaining the benefits or problems they create.

The bills regulate the permitting and process, the setbacks from property lines needed for construction, decibel limits and bonding and land restoration regulations for the removal of wind turbines when a project ends, whether through the end of its life or abandonment.

Sen. Phil Williams, R-Rainbow City, sponsored the bills. He also is the sponsor of a state bill regulating wind energy throughout Alabama. However, these bills are separate and their passage has no bearing on the future of the state bill, which was unanimously approved by the House Commerce Committee on Wednesday.

“(The signing of the bills) gives me a great sense of relief,” Williams said. “If the statewide bill reaches an impasse, our citizens will be protected.”

The bills state that local governments must adopt rules, laws or ordinances governing the construction of wind farms as well. Etowah County CEO Patrick Simms said the County Commission is waiting on the state bill to see what it needs to do, compared to what the state already will do, if the bill passes.

Pioneer Green Energy has plans to build two wind projects on Lookout Mountain in Etowah and Cherokee counties. Development Manager Patrick Buckley said the new legislation would cause both counties to become two of the most highly regulated wind markets he has ever seen, and is unaware of similar property setbacks anywhere else.

Buckley said the 2,500-foot setbacks required in the legislation were the worst he had ever seen. He said the law is an assault on property owners throughout the area and state, and runs contrary to the pro-business atmosphere that Alabama likes to promote.

“This is the expansion of government with these regulations,” Buckley said. “You’re basically telling a land owner what they can and can’t do with their property.”

Williams said the regulations are not meant to affect property rights, but are to protect adjacent property owners from nuisance. He said during the researching of the bill, he saw places throughout the nation and world where there were larger setbacks, such as Umatilla County, Ore., and in parts of Australia, which have 2-mile and 2-kilometer setbacks, respectively.

Buckley said the goal of the local legislation was to kill Pioneer Green’s projects. He said the projects invest $200 million in both counties, a large chunk of which would benefit the schools in both counties. Williams denied his bill was aimed at any specific project.

“The intent of the bill was never to kill anything,” he said. “The intent was to protect our citizens.”

Source:  By John Davidson, Times Staff Writer | The Gadsden Times | Published: Friday, March 21, 2014 | www.gadsdentimes.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon