Coal plant foe getting involved with wind energy

Dec 02 - Waterloo Courier, Iowa

Don Shatzer was a member of Community Energy Solutions when the group fought plans for a coal-burning power plant on the city's northeast side.

While it has been nearly two years since LS Power pulled the plug on that $1.3 billion, 750-megawatt Elk Run Energy Station project, Shatzer hasn't lost his desire to promote clean, sustainable energy.

The rural Black Hawk County resident received approval from the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors and Board of Adjustment last week to construct two 70-foot monopole wind turbines for personal electric generation on his acreage at 6515 Newell St., which is within a mile of where the coal-fired plant would have been built.

"My plan is to put one (wind turbine) up yet this year and put another one up in the future," he said. "Eventually I might even want to put up some solar (panels) and maybe look at buying an electric vehicle. Our goal is to try to be self-sufficient on energy."

Shatzer noted a single 2.4-kilowatt turbine should generate about 50 to 60 percent of his home's electricity. When the turbine generates excess power it goes into a bank for future use.

Waterloo City Planner Aric Schroeder said Shatzer is one of a growing number of people seeking permission for wind generation towers.

"We are working on an amendment to the zoning ordinance to more specifically cover wind towers," said Schroeder, noting the county planning and zoning commission adopted a proposed ordinance this month that should go to the Board of Supervisors by the end of the year.

The current ordinance regulates wind towers almost like cellular towers and requires a review by the zoning commission and adoption by the supervisors. Board of Adjustment approval is required if a variance is needed for setback purposes.

"The proposed ordinance creates a subsection specifically for wind energy facilities," Schroeder said. "If you meet certain requirements -- height, motor size, setbacks -- you can just pull your building permit."

Shatzer, a member of the zoning commission, would not have needed board approval for his towers under the proposed ordinance. He went through the process to "do it the right way" and because he didn't want to wait for the ordinance to be adopted.

"People aren't going to have to go through all the process and jump through all the hoops I had to jump through," Shatzer said. "In the future, I could have gotten permission from my neighbors and walked into P & Z and got my permit."

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