Open forum held for wind energy ordinance

By APRIL KELLEY
The discussion around the Commercial Wind Energy Conversion Systems (CWECS) Ordinance #77 dominated the Humboldt County Supervisors' meeting on Tuesday, May 26.

More than 75 people attended the meeting that was held in the District Courtroom on the second floor of the Courthouse

Approximately two dozen participants spoke during the meeting, with most raising concerns against allowing wind turbines in the county. Each participant was allowed two minutes to help keep the meeting manageable.

“I don't know what I could say now that I haven’t already said in previous supervisor meetings, my recent email to supervisors, and my recent letter to the editor in the Humboldt Independent,” Bode resident Mark Olson, started the conversation.

“Wind energy development is safe and reliable. Humboldt County is not a pioneer in this development. Many wind projects have been built in many other counties in Iowa, other states around the country, including the Big Oil State of Texas,” Olson continued.

This is happening because wind energy is the cheapest, fastest way to increase production of electricity, and it doesn't take much land out of production,” Olson said.

Olson told the crowd that he saw the new ordinance as too restrictive and would like to see more reasonable setbacks.

Most of the attendees who spoke up were against approval of the ordinance or against wind turbines altogether.

Many who spoke expressed sentiments much like Melissa Ubben, who stated her family has owned the acreage where she now lives for more than 60 years and does not want to see the land destroyed by wind turbines.

“I (have) lived in Humboldt County my entire life. My grandparents bought the acres where we live. We've built a life around it. It is our home, our heritage and part of who we are,” Ubben continued.

“Humboldt County is a major seed corn-producing area, and these projects could be detrimental to that industry and the families who depend on it. We should not risk damaging productive farmland and longstanding farming operations for outside industrial projects,” Ubben continued.

“Why should Humboldt County take on all the risk while outside companies take the profit? Once this landscape changes, we cannot get it back,” Ubben concluded.

Read the FULL story, and more, in this week's issue of the Humboldt Independent!