Spirit Lake, Iowa — A two-year moratorium on wind farms in a northwest Iowa county has failed on a tie vote. Dickinson County Supervisor Levi Markwardt proposed a moratorium on new construction.
Another supervisor on the Dickinson County Board joined Markwardt in voting for the moratorium. It failed on a two-to-two vote after the fifth member of the board cited a business conflict and abstained. Supervisor Kim Wermersen of Okoboji voted against the moratorium.
The other no vote came from Supervisor William Leupold of Spirit Lake.
Markwardt, the supervisor who proposed the moratorium, defeated an incumbent last November to win a seat on the board, and he says the placement of wind turbines in Dickinson County was a major issue in the race.
