Senator seeks support of wind farm regulatory bill

Sen. Phil Williams

State Sen. Phil Williams,  of Rainbow City, asked the Etowah County Commission Tuesday to consider a resolution in support of legislation regulating wind farms in Alabama.  The bill, referred to as the Alabama Wind Energy Conversion Systems Act of 2014, would impose regulations for effective and efficient use of wind energy conversion systems and require them to be regulated by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.  The wind turbines are about 570 feet tall and 80 feet around, and blasting of about 30 feet deep is expected to mount them in the ground.  There are expected to be between 40 and 45 at Cherokee Rock Village in Cherokee County and along Shinbone Ridge on Lookout Mountain in Etowah County from a project announced by Pioneer Green Energy of Austin, Texas.  Two lawsuits have been filed by residents, one in Etowah County and one in Cherokee County, to halt the construction.  Williams said he has met with every power provider in the state and there is nothing that regulates the energy source.  Both the Gadsden City Council and Leesburg Town Council have passed resolutions supporting the legislation, and the Cherokee County Commission passed a resolution asking that the Pioneer Green project be put on hold until TVA gets an impact study.  Williams said he currently opposes the project because there are no regulations in place.