GRUNDY COUNTY, IOWA — The Grundy County Board of Supervisors is halting the expansion of wind energy generation, passing a moratorium on any new wind turbine construction.

The board voted this week to put an indefinite moratorium on ‘commercial wind energy conversion projects.’ The action comes after citizens started a petition to halt a proposed new project. That project, in the northeast corner of the county, would have encompassed 60,000 acres – according to supervisor – and is much larger than two existing wind farms in the area.

“The ones who spoke to us were opposed and had gathered 440 signatures in a couple of weeks,” says Board Chair Heidi Nederhoff. She says the moratorium isn’t just to oppose one project, but to give the county time to review all of its policies and ordinances pertaining to wind energy.

In 2019, Madison County passed a one-year moratorium on wind and solar projects after a local health board claimed the turbines could cause negative health impacts – despite overwhelming research and published studies that disprove those claims.