Board gives preliminary OK to RWE Clean Energy development agreement for Pottawattamie Wind Project

The Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors granted preliminary approval for a development agreement with RWE Clean Energy LLC concerning the proposed Pottawattamie Wind Project. The action, recorded during a board session in late January, authorized staff to continue negotiations and prepare final documents for a subsequent meeting and vote.

The motion to grant preliminary approval was moved by Supervisor Jeff Jones and seconded by Supervisor Susan Miller. The roll call recorded AYES: Brian Shea, Susan Miller and Keith Jones; NAY: Tim Wichman; ABSENT: Jeff Jorgensen. The minutes state the approval was “subject to final approval,” indicating the Board intended further review and the completion of contractual terms before a binding agreement is executed.

County minutes do not include the full draft agreement or all negotiated terms. The action in the minutes is recorded as a preliminary authorization to proceed; it does not constitute final execution of a development agreement or record any transfer of funds or changes to permits. County staff and the developer will return to the board with a final agreement if negotiations conclude.

Speakers on the record included board members and the county attorney in closed‑session counsel earlier in the agenda; the minutes also note closed sessions on pending litigation and negotiation matters in subsequent meetings. The county’s approval is procedural at this stage and preserves the board’s ability to accept, modify or reject a final development agreement at a later meeting.