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Iowa Lakes seeks repower of Lakota wind farm; Kossuth supervisors allow final paperwork pending board‑of‑adjustment review
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Summary
Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative presented a proposal to repower seven existing turbines near Lakota by lengthening rotor blades and refurbishing nacelle components; the Kossuth County Board agreed that the company may finalize documents to comply with the county wind ordinance but required Board of Adjustment review of variances tied to preexisting setbacks.
The Kossuth County Board of Supervisors on April 28 agreed to let Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative proceed with final preparation of documents to repower the Lakota wind farm, subject to review and any required variances by the Board of Adjustment.
"The project upgrades the existing turbines with longer rotors . . . to improve performance and reliability," Ryan Craig, president and CEO of Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative, told the board during a public hearing. Craig said the repowering would use existing towers and foundations and keep the project's nameplate capacity at 10.5 megawatts while extending the facility's useful life by “approximately 20 years.”
Palmer Capital representative Samul Shah said the repower replaces 77‑meter rotors with 97‑meter rotors (adding about 10 meters to each blade) and that the company expects production to rise roughly 20–30 percent, while keeping the generator output the same when power leaves the site. Shah also said the project team has consulted with IDNR and received FAA clearance. He told the board the application includes draft road and drainage agreements, an emergency response plan, and a decommissioning cost estimate of $638,000.
Board members focused questions on setbacks and waivers. The presentation acknowledged that some existing turbines do not meet the county's 600‑foot setback standard because they predate the ordinance; the applicant said it has secured signed waivers from nearby residents and will request variances for road setback requirements where necessary. "These are legacy conditions that existed before the ordinance," Shah said, and the company requested the process of Board of Adjustment review for variances.
Supervisor discussion also probed whether a project‑specific company would hold decommissioning obligations and financial assurance. Craig said the plan is to create a project company that would post financial security (cash, letter of credit or bond) as required by the county ordinance and that such assurance would be provided consistent with ordinance timing.
After debate about procedure and whether the board or a separate board of adjustment should handle variances, Supervisor Stecker moved to allow Iowa Lakes to proceed in final preparation of documents to comply with the wind ordinance, with the specific variances sent for Board of Adjustment review. The motion was seconded and carried.
Next steps: the applicant will finalize permit materials and submit variance requests; the Board of Adjustment will review variances before any final county action on permit approval.
