Dickinson County approves clean energy project

SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa (KTIV) — After 15 hours of public testimony over three days, the Dickinson County Board of Adjustment has decided the fate of the proposed Red Rock Wind Energy Farm.

In a unanimous 5-0 decision, the board voted in favor of the 300 megawatt clean energy project.

Before the board made its decision, community members had the opportunity to take the floor and plead their case.

Following the public hearing, representatives from Invenergy made closing remarks and took questions from board members.

The Board of Directors approved the project with the addition of three conditions:

• Financial security must be in place prior to the commencement of construction.
• The ADLS lighting system is to be installed upon FAA approval.
• Alternate staging areas should be researched and reviewed by the county engineer.

“We are pleased that the Dickinson County Board of Adjustment has approved Red Rock Wind Energy Center and grateful to the Board for their thoughtful deliberation,” said Lead Developer of Red Rock Wind, Joe Crowley. “This would not have been possible without the hundreds of landowners and local supporters who stepped up to advocate for the significant and long-term economic opportunities that this project will bring to their community.”

Opponents of the project say that the decision comes as a shock, and a heavy majority of testimony opposed the development, which would build 67 new wind turbines in the county. This is a scaled-down version of a plan the board rejected last year.

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