Freeborn Wind tabled again!

March 20th, 2019

County Delays Vote on Wind Farm Agreement

Yeah, so it goes. A couple weeks ago, the PUC decided to toll the Reconsideration deadline and open up Freeborn Wind’s “Special Conditions” and the permit to comments. Comments were due last Tuesday, and now we’re waiting for PUC to announce a meeting.

Meanwhile, Freeborn County is looking at this project coming in. They have a Development Agreement, and in it, there are provisions that would open the door to use of the County road RoW for Freeborn Wind transmission. Remember PUC Commissioner Tuma hollering, “If they don’t have the land, they can’t build it” because they don’t have the land and PUC wanted to grant the permit anyway.

And the worst of the provisions, waiving, waiving, waiving:

Really… why would anyone agree to a paragraph like this? Here’s the entire agreement, also note Section 4.12: (MIA)

Association of Freeborn County Landowners just couldn’t let that sort of agreement go forward, so they’ve been working hard. We got our 5 minutes at the general comment time. When we got to Agenda item 5a, it was contentious, and first time there was confusion and statements that were off, I asked to come up and correct the record. Later, when something was misrepresented, I’d holler a bit “OBJECTION!” from the back of the room. The chair wasn’t too happy about that, I got a lecture about their new “Civility” ordinance/policy. Well, there’s nothing civil about misrepresentations. Rest assured that I will object, will continue to object, and get misstatements straightened out.

Tabled until the Public Utilities Commission issues its Order! Love it when that happens.

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