Greenwood Solar's CUP approved in 2018 expires after citizens successfully delay approval of site plan. Opposition led by Citizens for Responsible Solar

The Christian County Board voted “Yes” on Tuesday to keep the Christian County Zoning Board of Appeals recommendations for setbacks and shadow flicker for wind turbines 10-6 effectively ending any chance of wind turbines being built in Christian County.

Northern Gage County residents won a long battle today, as the Gage County Board approved an amendment increasing the setback between wind turbines and non-participating rural homes, to one mile. Applause broke out in the hallway outside the supervisor’s room, as an overflow of interested citizens reacted to the board’s vote.

A four-month moratorium for wind farm applications was approved by the Saline County Planning and Zoning Board. The moratorium, defined as “the temporary prohibition of activity,” was requested by Wilber resident Jeff Koll during its Aug. 18 meeting. Koll said the board needs to update specific wind project regulations before any projects may move forward within the county.

The Westerlo Town Board voted, 3 to 2, to extend the town’s moratorium on commercial wind and solar energy systems after a lengthy public hearing where the co-founders of Stella Solar argued against the extension, saying that it threatened plans for a two-megawatt array it had hoped to build on a farm at 300 Johnny Cake Hill Road.

The Piatt County board has extended its moratorium on wind farm applications for another six months, keeping it in effect until about mid-March. A six-month moratorium was scheduled to expire in September, but the county has yet to finalize changes to its wind energy conversion ordinance, most notably the portion that covers large-scale wind farms.

Linn County Commissioners on Monday extended a moratorium on the development of wind farms in the county until December 2021, saying the additional time would allow the county time to collect public opinion on wind development via an advisory vote or survey. The move followed the county’s adoption in June of a previous moratorium on the development of wind farms December 1, 2020. Commissioners said that delay would give the county time to update its comprehensive plan and get the views of county residents and landowners on the wind energy issue.

Today, on World Nature Conservation Day, Governor Laura Kelly announced a proclamation reaffirming the Tallgrass Heartland wind moratorium region of the Flint Hills. The area encompasses portions of 12 Kansas counties containing two thirds of the world’s remaining tallgrass prairie.

Permits for wind energy will not be accepted by Gage County after the Board of Supervisors approved a moratorium on turbine meetings during Wednesday’s meeting. The moratorium, initially proposed two weeks ago for a period of four months, was amended before approval this week and will now last for the next three months....Prairie Wind Watchers, the group spearheading the requested amendments, is focusing on specific changes it would like to see made by the county. A primary concern is increasing current setback requirements that stipulate turbines must be 3/8 miles from residences. The group is asking that figure to be increased to one mile. The group is also asking officials to make changes to how decibel levels are calculated.

"We do not support further development of wind power in the PNW...While development of wind farms may be politically fashionable and appeal to many in the general public as a harmonization of nature with electricity production, the science and economics indicate powering modern civilization with intermittent generation resources like wind and solar power comes at a high financial and environmental cost.”