Williams County planning panel approves three temporary meteorological towers for Homestead Wind project

The Williams County Planning and Zoning Commission on March 20 approved three conditional use permits that would allow temporary 60-meter (about 197-foot) meteorological towers to be sited on properties within Bone Trail, Strandall and Full Butte townships as part of data collection for the proposed Homestead Wind project.

The permits, filed by Apex Clean Energy on behalf of Homestead Wind LLC, authorize tilt-up MET towers that the company said are temporary, require no concrete foundations and will be anchored with guy wires. The towers will carry small solar panels to power sensors that record wind speed, direction and density for potential future wind-farm siting and financing.

Why it matters: The MET towers are the first step in data gathering that Apex said will support a later permit application for construction of a wind farm. Residents and township officials raised concerns at the meeting about setbacks, effects on cropland and farm operations, access and how compensation will reach tenant farmers. Commissioners approved all three CUPs with staff conditions after public comment and roll-call votes.

Apex representative Matt said the towers are “temporary in nature,” are tilt-up structures with no excavation and that they stay below 200 feet to comply with Federal Aviation Administration rules. He said existing MET towers in the county have provided “a tremendous amount of data,” and that the company expects to perform additional…