(Des Moines, IA) — Three Republican members of a key committee say they plan to block state regulators from expanding their authority to turn over private property for wind energy developments.
Some Iowa counties have passed local zoning ordinances restricting where wind turbines may be placed. Critics say those restrictions would be overruled by the proposed Iowa Utilities Board rules — because if the board approves a wind farm project, eminent domain authority could be used to convert the private property for the public use of renewable energy generation.
Senator Zach Whiting of Spirit Lake is one of the lawmakers — and says he has a number of concerns about the dramatic expansion of eminent domain authority the Utilities Board appears to give itself.
