Cherokee County Commission members on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution that establishes a one-year moratorium on wind energy development inside of county limits, saying they want additional information on such operations. “I believe we, as a commission, deserve the time and the right to fact-find,” said Commissioner Lorie Johnson, of District 2. The resolution establishes a moratorium and suspends certain types of improvements regarding wind energy on any land within the limits of Cherokee County for one year, officials said. The wind farm moratorium was approved after Thursday’s special meeting at which commissioners met with representatives from RWE Renewables Americas, of Texas, for the first time to discuss how the county was chosen as a potential site for an industrial wind farm. Garrett Ketchen, wind development manager with RWE, said the project would benefit local landowners who lease the air above their land and could create 10 to 15 local jobs. He added if the project was approved, it would be installed in three to five years.
Source: www.joplinglobe.com
