Cherokee County supervisors are weighing changes to the rules for commercial wind turbines, including how close turbines can be built to homes and how much developers should pay to help cover the county’s costs.
During its weekly meeting Tuesday morning at the county courthouse in Cherokee, the board approved an amended wind energy ordinance summary for publication and scheduled a first reading of the ordinance for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10.
The amendment replaces the existing language in Section Four of the county’s Wind Energy Device Ordinance governing setbacks for commercial wind turbines.
Under the proposed language, a turbine must be set back from a human-occupied dwelling by at least two and a half times the height of the blade’s apex — the highest point reached by a turbine blade — measured to the nearest residence.
That distance could be reduced if the landowner grants a waiver, but the setback could not be less than 1,320 feet. The ordinance defines a human-occupied dwelling as one currently occupied or capable of being occupied for residential purposes. Greater setbacks could also be required to address shadow flicker, nuisance noise and other documented effects on people living nearby.
The amendment comes as large-scale renewable-energy development remains a topic of discussion in Cherokee County.
Chicago-based Invenergy — North America’s largest privately held developer, owner and operator of independent power infrastructure — has proposed the Plymouth II Wind Energy Center, a 200-megawatt project spanning Cherokee and Plymouth counties. The company says the project would build on Plymouth I, which has been operating since 2022. Plymouth II remains a proposed development; Tuesday’s county action does not approve the project.
During Tuesday’s meeting, supervisors also discussed the financial responsibilities that come with reviewing and accommodating large energy projects, including whether the county’s fees adequately account for its workload and potential expenses.
Board member Shane Bellefy said the county needs to set fees that help protect taxpayers from costs that may arise during development, rather than leaving the public to cover expenses that developers’ payments do not address.
Bellefy also discussed the need to regularly revisit fees. He said supervisors want future boards to have a process for reviewing costs, rather than allowing fees to remain unchanged for years.
The discussion included whether a consumer price index, or CPI, should be used as an indicator when reviewing fees. Bellefy said he had discussed the idea with County Attorney Ryan Kolpin, who raised questions about the legal justification for that approach. Supervisors discussed keeping the language simple while retaining a mechanism for periodic reviews.
Bellefy said the county also needs to consider the workload that accompanies wind development, including additional paperwork for the Secondary Roads Department.
The fee discussion also touched on how wind development could affect county finances before additional property tax revenue becomes available. Bellefy referenced the possibility of a project involving 40 wind turbines and said the county needs to be prepared for the financial risks that can accompany major construction.
He said Cherokee County’s work on wind, solar and other development rules is drawing attention and could help the county prepare for future proposals.
Bellefy also raised the question of whether the county should examine the difference between landowners who live in Cherokee County and those who own land there but reside elsewhere. He compared the issue to hunting and fishing licenses, which charge different fees to residents and nonresidents.
Cherokee County has already adopted a separate ordinance regulating solar energy systems, including utility-scale installations. That ordinance established requirements covering such matters as setbacks, permitting, agricultural impacts, noise, road conditions and eventual decommissioning. The wind turbine setback amendment is a separate measure.
Bellefy said the goal of the fee discussion is to provide another layer of protection for county taxpayers while preparing for future development and financial pressures.
Tuesday’s action was a step in the ordinance process, not final adoption of the amendment. The full amended ordinance is available through the Cherokee County Auditor’s Office.
