Quorum court advised to give wind farms the doldrums

The Newton County Quorum Court met in regular session Monday, May 5, and was invited to join a movement seeking moratoriums against the proliferation of wind farms in Northwest Arkansas.
Caroline Rogers was elected to the Carroll County Quorum Court last November. She ran on a platform against the Nimbus Wind Project by renewable energy company Scout Clean Energy, a wind farm currently under construction along Carroll County Road 905 south of Green Forest.
Rogers introduced herself to the Newton County Quorum Court saying she learned about the industrial wind turbine project in 2023 as a resident. She said the project was first proposed in 2016 and calls for 30 turbines that are up to 698-feet-tall being erected on a 2,000-feet-tall ridge line on private property, the owners of which have signed lease agreements with Scout.
Rogers said she first worked with former Carroll County Judge Richard Williams to inform the quorum court about the dangers and problems presented by the turbines. It has been an ongoing 2-year-long fight to get ordinances passed. A moratorium on the construction of new commercial wind and solar energy projects is in the process of being approved. The ordinance is coming up for its third reading.
Madison County was the first county in Arkansas to pass such a moratorium. Boone County recently passed one similar, Rogers said. She is hoping other counties will follow suit.
Rogers said even though the governor signed Act 945 in April that places certain restrictions on these enterprises, there are wind companies still planning to come into the state.

Displaying a state map marked with the locations of wind turbines, Rogers said the wind turbine companies have to notify the Federal Aviation Administration where it wants to erect the tall structures. That information is then made public. While most of the farms are currently located in the delta region of the state there have been stirrings of inquiries being made in the northwest corner, primarily Washington County, to put up wind turbines.
Rogers said she was appearing before the Newton County Quorum Court to inform JPs about moratoriums and how they allow the county to buy time to develop and pass more specific ordinances to regulate wind farms. "What you don't want to do is have a wind company already here with contracts in hand."
Rogers said once the wind company finds out someone is talking to the quorum court the company comes in and does what they need to do to turn things around. "One of their famous lines is, 'we're going to sue you.'"
The problems with turbines are many, primarily their environmental effects. To construct the structures acres of land have to be cleared and roads have to be built. "You want to get ahead of the game," Rogers said.
JP Steve Adams said even if the county wanted them, the National Park Service would never allow the windmills anywhere near the Buffalo National River that cuts through the county.
"That sounds like a good ace in your pocket," Rogers said, that could go along with a moratorium and ordinances.