The Linn County board of supervisors has extended the county’s moratorium on consideration of utility-scale renewable energy projects for three months, as a county-appointed advisory committee prepares to discuss possible changes to the county’s renewable energy ordinance. The three-month extension was passed by the board 2-0 at its regular meeting Nov. 23. Supervisors Stacey Walker […]
The Linn County board of supervisors has extended the county’s moratorium on consideration of utility-scale renewable energy projects for three months, as a county-appointed advisory committee prepares to discuss possible changes to
the county’s renewable energy ordinance.
The three-month extension was passed by the board 2-0 at its regular meeting Nov. 23. Supervisors Stacey Walker and Louie Zumbach voted to extend the moratorium; supervisor Ben Rogers did not attend the meeting.
The extension was expected and anticipated. The board
had voted Oct. 12 to enact an initial three-month moratorium, which was set to automatically expire Dec. 31. However, the board also decided that the moratorium could be extended by board resolution at three-month intervals, up to a year, while discussions continue on possible renewable energy policy modifications.
The county’s Planning and Zoning Commission had originally recommended a full-year moratorium, but supervisors modified that recommendation to the three-month window with renewal options. The moratorium was approved after two previous moratoriums were rejected by the board.
County planning and zoning director Charlie Nichols told the board that the members of the county’s advisory committee have now been chosen.
“We do want to have the majority of members at our kickoff meeting,” he said, “and if people cannot make it, then we'll have that kickoff event in January. We are moving ahead, making slow but steady progress.”
The moratorium comes in the wake of the county’s review and eventual approval of utility-scale solar projects
near Coggon and
near the former Duane Arnold Energy Center. Several issues arose during those reviews, including buffers, vegetative seedings, agrivoltaics and battery energy storage systems, spurring the push for a moratorium to address those issues before other projects are presented to the board for consideration.
Mr. Walker said he has received numerous calls from residents expressing their views on renewable energy projects.
“What I have assured a lot of those folks is that (this committee) should be balanced in the perspectives that are represented there,” he said. “The goal is to glean as much information (as possible) from not only the affected members of the public, but from subject matter experts. And the ultimate goal – and we all agreed on this – was to try to figure out a way to make our ordinance even better than it is, recognizing that it was in pretty good shape to start.”
Mr. Zumbach asked whether Mr. Nichols felt the committee’s work could be completed and reviewed before the three-month moratorium expires March 31. In response, Mr. Nichols said there was a “better than 50-50 chance” an additional three-month moratorium would be needed. If that happens, the moratorium could be extended until June 30, 2023.
Mr. Walker said he hoped the committee could work as quickly as possible. “We don't have a lot of time when it comes to doing what we can to stave off the impacts of climate catastrophe,” he said. “And this is a small piece of that. So I want us to be really thoughtful and judicious.”
As currently designed, the advisory committee will prepare recommendations for any possible ordinance changes. Those recommendations would then be forwarded to the Planning and Zoning Commission for review before being submitted to the full board of supervisors for consideration.
