By Cynthia Grau

PONTIAC – After more than a year of discussion, the moratorium on wind energy conversion in Livingston County has been lifted.

Livingston County Board Chairman Bob Young explained that, while the moratorium has been lifted, there are still a few things left to do.

“I don’t know if it really changes too much by lifting the moratorium, because right now, the ordinance states we’re at a 3,200-feet setback from residences for any wind farms, which basically wouldn’t allow any wind farms to come into the county,” Young said. “However, there still is a text amendment to give the seven townships in the northeastern part of the county–they voted in an advisory referendum that they preferred wind farms–so we’re working to make those setbacks 1,640 feet, which would encourage wind farms, but that’s not done yet. So, right now, across the county, wind farms are (set back) 3,240 feet.”

Young did not estimate when the setback change for the northeastern township would take place.

Cynthia Grau can be reached at [email protected].