Sioux County passes moratorium on wind turbines and solar projects for one-year

ORANGE CITY, Iowa (KTIV) - Any wind turbine and solar projects in Sioux County are now on hold for one year thanks to a new resolution passed by the county’s board of supervisors.

Sioux County Auditor Joe Van Tol said the vote was unanimous among the supervisors. The ordinance is supported by the county’s zoning board and board of adjustment, according to KIWA radio.

According to the text of the resolution, there are no commercial solar or wind turbine projects currently under development in Sioux County.

The process now turns to the planning and zoning commission, which may recommend a new ordinance that would cover the entire county.

Debates over wind turbines have continued in Northwest Iowa over the last several months.

A group of citizens in Dickinson County is asking that the county’s board amend an ordinance that hasn’t been changed since 2009. They say current law allows wind turbines to be too close to homes and more turbines would be an eyesore for the Iowa Great Lakes region.

Plymouth County is engaged in potentially changing its ordinance. In Woodbury County, the board of supervisors approved a two-mile setback for wind turbine projects, one of the longest distances in the region.