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Resident asks board for 6-week moratorium on wind, solar and battery permits; supervisors outline permit process
Summary
A public commenter asked supervisors to impose a six-week moratorium on renewable-energy permits so the county can hold a work session and revise ordinance language; the board explained the current mitigation-based ordinance and said mitigation and technical measures are reviewed during preliminary and public hearings rather than by an immediate moratorium.
During public input, a resident asked the Des Moines County Board of Supervisors to place a six-week moratorium on wind, solar and battery permit applications so staff and the board could hold a work session and consider ordinance changes.
"A discussion and vote to place a 6 week moratorium on wind, solar, and battery permit applications" was the request read aloud by the commenter, who asked why her item was not added to the meeting agenda. The commenter asked whether the county could require emerging mitigation technologies to protect wildlife, such as eagle-detection systems.
Supervisors explained the county's current ordinance already contemplates mitigation measures and that mitigation can be applied before, during or after a project depending on circumstances. One supervisor said the county prefers that applicants present mitigation plans during the preliminary review and public hearing phases, where conservation staff, regional planning and other stakeholders assess effectiveness and cost. "They will have a mitigation plan...conservation will have looked at it," a supervisor said, describing the review steps.
Reporters asked whether any formal application had been filed; staff said no completed application had been received and that lease records in the recorder's office are incomplete so the county cannot reliably estimate the number of nonparticipating properties potentially affected. Staff noted it would be possible for someone to compile filed leases to estimate affected properties but that unfiled leases could exist.
The board did not adopt a moratorium at the meeting and signaled that questions about mitigation technology would be addressed at the scheduled preliminary and public hearings for any future applications. One supervisor pointed listeners to a separate public event on the topic that evening, and conservation staff offered to answer technical questions there.
Why it matters: The request reflects public concern about the local effects of large renewable-energy projects, including wildlife mitigation and impacts on nonparticipating properties. Supervisors emphasized procedural limits and review steps embedded in the county's permitting process.
What's next: Conservation staff and regional planners will be prepared to discuss mitigation approaches at consent-to-proceed and public hearings for any future applications; a community session on wind issues was scheduled for the evening at the library.
