Cleburne residents upset that county is excluded from new Windmill Bill

Sen. Gerald Dial

Some Cleburne County residents are upset after learning that Cleburn county had been excluded from a state wind farm bill introduced by State Senator Phil Williams of Gadsden.   The  Senate passed Williams bill setting up an application process through the Public Service Commission for the wind farms as well as establishing a minimum distance the farms must be from neighboring properties — five times the height of the tower to the property line.  Cleburne county residents discovered Cleburne County was excluded from those regulations in action taken by state Senator Gerald Dial.  County commissioners said they met with Dial but only gave their individual opinions in favor of the exclusion.  The commission had never taken any action formally seeking the exclusion.

Chairman Ryan Robertson said the House of Representatives was having a hearing on the bill Wednesday and that he had been invited to attend. He asked the commissioners if they would like him to represent the county and speak in favor of excluding the county in the legislation. The commissioners voted unanimously to allow him to speak for them in favor of the exclusion.