Reno county wind farm must be operable before end of 2019 to qualify for federal tax breaks

Forty-five seconds of silence following a motion to impose a moratorium on commercial wind development perhaps resounded louder than two hours of an open mic before the Reno County Commission Tuesday morning.

Commissioner Ron Hirst’s motion to impose a six-month moratorium died for lack of a second. No other motion followed.

NextEra Energy is now free to file its application for a conditional use permit, which will go before the Reno County Planning Commission. The company previously indicated it planned to do so by mid-December.

The planning commission could propose additional restrictions or requirements for NextEra’s Pretty Prairie Wind Farm outside of existing zoning regulations, according to county commissioners and NextEra officials.

Any restrictions, however, must be set soon if NextEra is going to meet its timeline of getting the wind farm operable before the end of 2019 — a deadline required to qualify for federal tax breaks and meet energy delivery obligations.

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)