Wind power has stirred a storm in Yankton County. Dozens attended the first reading this week of a local ordinance considering regulations for a potential development within the county’s borders.
The four-and-a-half hour meeting filled with public comment reflected the discourse surrounding wind power in the area, with many residents opposed to a wind project slated for northern Yankton County.
This comes after a task force made up of county commissioners was created to learn more about potential developments in the area.
The proposed development is the Swan Lake wind project from NextEra Energy Resources. It would have a capacity of 248 megawatts and be built west of Irene.
However, the overflow crowd voiced a host of concerns about the development and its potential 97 turbines, from noise to landownership rights.
One commentor was Cassie Richelieu, who lives near the proposed development. She used the Dr. Seuss book “The Lorax” as her analog for the situation, in opposition to the wind power development.
“The book teaches that there are long lasting consequences to the actions we make today, because the actions we make today affect the future generation," Richelieu said. "Like the Onceler, very few will profit. I’ll end with an important quote from the book – unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.”
Despite the strong opposition present, the commission say there is another faction of green power support in the area. This was highlighted by commissioner Don Kettering.
“There’s 24,000 people in this county, and I heard 99% are totally against it – that’s not true," Kettering said. "There’s a ton of people that support it. They’re not here tonight, they don’t stand up and come, but they’re saying why wouldn’t we want to help supply electricity?
The second reading of the ordinance will be heard at an upcoming commission meeting.