The Carroll County Quorum Court was expected to consider a proposed ordinance at its regular meeting Tuesday, Nov. 21, that would establish a temporary moratorium on the construction of industrial wind or solar energy facilities in the county.
Because of early deadlines on a holiday week, this issue of the Times-Echo was due at the press before Tuesday night’s meeting.
The proposed ordinance, sponsored by District 2 Justice of the Peace Bruce Wright and District 7 JP Kellie Matt, comes after months of debate over Scout Clean Energy’s planned “Nimbus Projected” near Green Forest.
Scout, based in Boulder, Colo., plans for the project to expand over approximately 9,000 acres — about 14 square miles — in Carroll County, much of it along County Road 905 southeast of Green Forest. Scout says the project could generate up to 180 megawatts of electricity at peak demand — enough to power almost 30,000 homes. Scout says it has signed lease agreements with more than 50 landowners to place wind turbines on their property. The company estimates that the 30-year project will generate more than $14 million in lease payments and $25 million in tax revenue for the county.
The planned project has drawn vigorous opposition from opponents who say it will be harmful to wildlife, have adverse health effects and pose a potential safety risk for humans and potentially cause significant damage to county roads, along with disturbing the natural beauty of the area. Opponents of the project also say Scout’s ownership can be traced to Chinese interests.
The planned wind farm has been a topic of public comments at quorum court meetings for the past several months, with some justices of the peace responding that they have no authority to intervene in the project. A proposed ordinance that would have established regulations for setbacks and other criteria for towers like those that Scout plans to use in the project was voted down at the quorum court’s August meeting and discussion of creating a land use commission that would have permitting authority for large-scale industrial projects also has failed to gain traction among JPs.
The proposed ordinance to be considered at Tuesday night’s meeting calls for additional time for the county to “assess and evaluate the local impact industrial wind and solar facilities may have upon the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Carroll County and within Carroll County’s jurisdictional boundaries, and to evaluate the appropriate steps, if any, the Quorum Court should consider taking in order to properly regulate the construction and decommissioning of such facilities(.)” To be adopted, the proposed ordinance will require three readings and approval by a majority of the 11-member quorum court.
