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Panel hears bill to let counties site larger wind farms, adds decommissioning requirement
Summary
House Bill 3,874 would increase the county siting threshold for wind facilities from 50 megawatts to 100 megawatts and the dash-1 would require a county review to include a decommissioning plan and financial security; county officials and renewable groups supported the change while proponents said it aligns with evolving turbine technology.
The Senate Committee on Energy and Environment received testimony April 23 on House Bill 3,874, which would let counties review and permit wind energy facilities with average electric generating capacity up to 100 megawatts rather than the current 50 megawatts threshold that generally triggers review by the Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC).
Sponsor and supporters said the change reflects advances in turbine technology that put more megawatts on each tower and can reduce project footprints. "The new power heads and some of the towers are capable of 4 and a half or so as I understand it," Representative Ken Helm told the committee, adding that permitting more projects at the county level preserves developer choice and can allow smaller local developers to pursue projects under county processes.
Dash-1 amendment: decommissioning plan - Paige Pruitt,…
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