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Board hears update on Westcamp wind-farm lighting; FAA system to activate after testing
Summary
County planning staff reported that Westcamp Wind Farm's aircraft detection lighting system is installed but not yet activated; the FAA requires full hardware installation and on-site flight testing before activation, which the developer expects after commercial operation, likely by June 2026.
Planning staff updated the board about resident complaints that obstruction lights at the Westcamp Wind Farm have been continuously illuminated. Staff confirmed the aircraft-detection lighting system is installed but not activated because FAA procedures require full hardware installation, on-site flight testing, coverage mapping and an obstruction evaluation before a system can be commissioned.
The county reported that the wind farm is constructed but not yet commercially operational, and the company expects to be operational no later than June 2026. Once the FAA testing and authorization are finished and the system is commissioned, lights will illuminate only when aircraft are detected within a 3-nautical-mile horizontal buffer of the wind farm and between 200 and 1,000 feet above the turbines.
A supervisor asked for clarification whether the current lights are continuously operational and how the FAA-activated system will function; staff confirmed lights are currently on by FAA requirement while the detection system is not yet authorized, and described the future system's 3-nautical-mile buffer and vertical activation threshold.
What happens next: Staff will continue to monitor FAA and developer timelines and report progress; the board encouraged staff to keep residents informed about activation and mitigation plans.
