SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County Planning Commission got a first look at a new draft of regulations for wind energy during a meeting on Thursday.
The new regulations were put together in hopes of being able to ease public concerns for wind farms, while keeping the county open to wind farm proposals. County Planner Mark Vonachen says the proposed regulations combines three of the most talked-about issues when it comes to wind farms.
“We combined the set, we combined the noise, the shadow flicker all into one, and so even though you may meet minimum setback requirements if you don’t meet the maximum flicker or the maximum noise, you won’t be able to put your turbine in that location,” Vonachen said. “All three of those elements have to be in compliance for you to locate that turbine.”
Some of the regulations include how property owners will be notified of any plans for a wind farm that could affect them, how shadow flicker, noise, and setbacks will be determined, and how any wind farm proposals would be reviewed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife. The proposed regulations also deal with public and private airstrips.
It would leave collateral issues related to wind farms such as roads, bridges, and other infrastructures out of the Planning Department’s hands.
The development of the regulations comes after NextEra saw their proposed wind farm essentially stopped due to objections from landowners. Vonachen wanted to stress that the proposed regulations were not put in place to stunt wind farm development in the county.
“We are not bringing forth a document that effectively bans wind turbines in this county,” Vonachen stressed noting that if the county wanted to do that they should have just placed a ban on wind farms, similar to what Sedgwick County has done. “They did not do that so we can not bring forth a document that does that even though we have regulations.”
The committee will go over some small changes to the regulations before bringing it back to the Planning Commission during their August meeting. If approved, the regulations would go before a public hearing and formal approval which could happen in September.