Eastern Montana County Cracks Down on Wind Turbine Height

Can you imagine living in beautiful Big Sky country of Eastern Montana and then having a massive wind farm with towers taller than the towers of downtown Billings in your backyard?

That's the concern that has been raised by folks across Eastern Montana like former State Senator Ric Holden (R-Glendive).

Good news for folks concerned about the height of these proposed wind power developments. Holden told us about a recent vote in Prairie County, Montana where "the county commissioners approved a citizen-initiated zoning district to cap wind towers at 199 feet. The projected height was 600 feet."

Holden added this: "The will of the people in Prairie County was successful in their clash against the mega industrial wind turbine complex, which was set to start construction next spring. The Prairie County Commissioners, on a 3 to 0 vote, approved the creation of a citizen-initiated zoning district that would limit the height of wind turbines to 199 feet. The petitioners gathered support from seventy six percent of the landowners in the district."

In addition to Prairie County, Holden says Dawson County citizens are working on two similar zoning districts.

Holden: "The creation of the zoning district in the middle of the complex site will strategically protect all of the citizens in eastern Montana from the adverse effects and land devaluation from wind tower overdevelopment."

Here's part of what we shared back in our July report: 

When it comes to all of the massive wind power projects being pushed across Montana, Holden says if we don't act now, we could ruin that Big Sky view for the next generations of Montana.

Holden: "Don't sit back. These companies are coming to everybody's counties. You don't know it, but they are there. And if you don't take action now and establish some regulations you will be sorry.