Letter to the Editor: Wind benefits should not be ignored

By James S. Davis, Charles City

Wind farms constitute sound economic and social policy for  Floyd County. Turbines are a clean, renewable energy source as electrical demand continues to accelerate.

MidAmerican Energy Company’s 2007 Charles City Wind Farm (80.0 MW) comprises 50 turbines. MidAmerican will pay $975,760 in Floyd County property taxes in this tax year for the 50 turbines. The project generated millions of dollars in new taxes, originally spent on rural road improvements.

Many rural road improvements over the past few years are derived from property tax payments solely from the Charles City Wind Farm. Also, rural residents hosting turbines have realized millions of dollars of land lease payments.

MidAmerican has proven a sound corporate citizen, complying with all details of the then existing zoning ordinance.

In November 2023, Board of Supervisors enacted a resolution unanimously in support of Floyd County wind farms. They tasked the Planning and Zoning Commission with developing a modern ordinance. The Commission did a comprehensive and thorough job. It submitted its 27-page report to the Supervisors, whereupon it should have been adopted as written. It has not been to date.

In 2024 Invenergy proposed the Marble Ridge Wind Energy Center for Floyd County. Whenever a company proposes to spend $275 million in Floyd County, it should receive due consideration. The project is expected to generate $70 million in new property taxes over its lifetime. This project portends approximately 300 construction jobs and employment of 10 full-time highly paid technicians and managers.

Unquestionably all residents – but especially rural residents – benefit from wind farm projects. In a time of challenging governmental budgets, this is just the type of revenue-producing project we need. Floyd County cannot afford to ignore wind farm benefits.

(NOTE: Economic numbers provided by Charles City Area Development Corp.)