Adams County decides some wind ordinance details

CORNING — Adams County Board of Supervisors approved some details of its revised wind ordinance during its regularly scheduled meeting Monday. The board has been reviewing details and proposals to its ordinance for weeks.

Supervisors approved no shadow flicker will be allowed on the houses of non-participating landowners. Shadow flicker is when shadows created by the tower and the blades of the turbine. Supervisor Leland Shipley cast the only no vote.

Supervisors also approved by vote of placement depth for the buried infrastructure related to the turbines. Power lines must be 72 inches deep. Comments were over safety concerns accessing tile lines in farm fields. Accurate location of buried power lines and tile lines are critical. During decommissioning of a tower, items 48 inches below the surface must be removed.

Adams County approved a maximum of 400 acres for solar energy projects. The dimensions of the projects can vary. For example, there can be one, 400 acre project or four 100-acre sized projects.

Supervisor comments included speculation the county would receive less total property tax revenue from solar projects than the farm ground before conversion to solar. At a prior forum held by the county’s zoning commission, an Adair County supervisor had said Adair County got its first check from the state on the solar project and it was significantly less than the prior agricultural land taxes.

Additional comments were agriculture taxes stopped when the solar project started and there was no revenue during the year of construction. Tax revenue from the state did not begin until after production had started. Solar (and all non-wind energy production in Iowa) pays $.0006/kWh of energy actually produced. Renewable energy projects are exempt from all local taxes.