Whitman County adopts amended commercial wind-energy code after split vote
The Whitman County Board of Commissioners approved amendments to Whitman County Code 19.61 (Commercial Wind Energy Facilities) on March 2, 2026, in a 2–1 vote after hours of public comment on setbacks, decommissioning and retroactivity concerns.
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The Whitman County Board of Commissioners voted March 2 to adopt amendments to Whitman County Code 19.61 governing commercial wind energy facilities. Commissioner Chad Whetzel moved to approve the planning commission's recommended changes and Commissioner Tom Handy seconded; the motion "carried, by the following vote: 2 Ayes, 1 Nay." The vote followed an extended public-comment period in which both developers and local residents urged opposite outcomes.
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