Landowners Sue County Over Wind Restrictions
- Dave Price
- 5 hours ago
- 1 min read
Five landowners are suing Clinton County, an East Central Iowa area of approximately 46,000 residents. The Clinton County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance in December that the landowners contend makes their agreement with Clinton County Wind LLC impossible to progress.
The wind project has been a source of constant tension in the county for two years with some landowners supporting the economic benefits that it could bring to the region, while others oppose the expansion of wind in the area.
The lawsuit stated that the landowners have been working with Clinton County Wind LLC since 2019 on the project, and the company “invested millions of dollars in the County with its comprehensive development initiative to permit a wind project in the County.”
Landowners Push for Wind Development
The landowners believe that when the Board of Supervisors amended the previous ordinance regarding wind, it would “prevent any new commercial wind development in the County,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also laid out that the amendment establishes setback distances that must be 10 miles away from the west bank of the Mississippi River (which borders the county on the east) and five miles from the north bank of the Wapsipinicon River. No waivers to those setback distances are permitted, according to the lawsuit.
The DeWitt Observer reported that the supervisors and county attorney will meet Monday to discuss what is next following the lawsuit.
RELATED: Iowa’s neighbor to the north has been able to produce 25% of its power through wind. Much of that wind production comes from Southwest Minnesota. This American Farmland Owner story looked at the importance of wind to the state.
