WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Large-scale wind power developments would not be allowed and commercial solar installations would be restricted in Sedgwick County under a proposal approved Wednesday by the county commission.
The Sedgwick County Commission made the decision to protect aviation interests after planner Dave Yearout told commissioners that large windmills can affect airport and flight operations within a 5-mile radius, The Wichita Eagle reported.
A map showing a 10-mile radius drawn around every airport and private landing strip in the county left only four small areas that would not be affected by a wind farm: in the extreme southwest, northwest and northeast corners of the county, and a small strip of land south of Clearwater.
Yearout told The Associated Press that the large number of aviation facilities in the county, coupled with increasing non-agricultural development in rural areas and training activities at McConnell Air Force Base, makes large scale wind farms incompatible with the countys needs.
He said studies show that wind facilities can cause dangerous atmospheric conditions that radiate out by 5 miles and could affect small aircraft that use landing strips across the county. Airport hazard maps currently restrict wind mill heights to 300 feet but some bigger wind mills can be 550 feet tall, he said.
The commissioners also approved more requirements for permits for large-scale solar operations. The regulations do not impact installations of small solar energy systems on homes or businesses, or privately owned windmills up to 45 feet tall.
Large solar installations can produce glare and glint that can affect the ability of pilots to fly at certain times and in certain places, Yearout said.
We do support wind and solar, but aviation is so important to the community that I think this is a good balance, Commissioner Jim Howell said.
The regulations will soon be presented to the Wichita City Council for final approval. The county shares planning responsibilities with the city.
The regulations were proposed after nearly nine months of studies, Yearout said, and they give the county everything we need in our toolbox for adequate insight to regulate big energy generation facilities.
