Red lights blinking 24/7 atop wind turbines may stop with deal by Kansas lawmakers
Kansas lawmakers have sent a bill to the governor designed to make the night sky in rural areas less interrupted by flashing red lights atop wind turbines.
If Gov. Laura Kelly signs Senate Bill 49 into law, it would require installation of light-mitigating technology on new and existing wind farms.
The aircraft detection lighting system technology would turn off the lights except for when aircraft are near. Aircraft aren't near a wind farm about 97% of the time the lights are blinking, said Rep. Lisa Moser, R-Wheaton.
"This bill came about because there are thousands of Kansans who see red blinking lights every three seconds, 24 hours a day," Moser said, "and this is legislation that will mitigate that."
Moser has multiple wind farms around her home, with more on the way, that have disrupted her nighttime sky in rural Marshall County.
"Sitting on the deck on the north side of our home, I see three wind systems at night," she said. "Red lights blink in various cadences, each wind system having its own unique rhythm of lights."
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Under the bill, starting July 1, 2023, developers of new developments would have to apply to the Federal Aviation Administration for approval of the mitigation technology. If approved, they would have 24 months to install it.
Then starting July 1, 2026, existing developments would have to apply to FAA within six months of signing a new power offtake agreement. That could be several years away for some wind farms, so there is a provision to allow counties to use bonds to help pay to install the technology earlier.
Kansas has about about 4,000 turbines now with plans to add 6,000 more, Moser said.
The House passed the bill 118-6 last week.
One of the votes against the bill came from Rep. Bob Lewis, R-Garden City, who raised concerns over the possibility that taxpayers may have to cover costs that he argued should be covered by the businesses.
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The bill previously passed the Senate 39-1.
The one objector was Sen. Mark Steffen, R-Hutchinson, who said, "We have way too many wind farms."
Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee, said a radar system is about $1.5 million, and one should be enough for most developments. That's less than the approximate $5 million cost to build a single turbine, he said.
"This is really cutting-edge legislation that will probably go into other states," said Sen. Rob Olson, R-Olathe.
Lights atop wind turbines affect sleep and traffic, Kansas legislator says
Rep. Joe Seiwert, R-Pretty Prairie, said the lights make it difficult for people to sleep and can cause traffic accidents.
"These blinking red lights drive people crazy. They're super annoying," said Rep. Carrie Barth, R-Baldwin City. "They're out in the country. They have a clear night black sky that they're used to, and all of a sudden, now these are blinking on a nonstop basis."
Rep. Michael Murphy, R-Sylvia, said technology for pilots has improved since he started flying.
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"I think it's not a safety issue for aviation," he said, adding planes shouldn't be anywhere close to the turbines anyway.
Rep. Cindy Neighbor, D-Shawnee, whose husband is a pilot, likewise supported the bill.
"The most important thing is this was a compromise," Neighbor said. "These were groups coming together and working out language that was appropriate and safe and very, very thoughtful and complete."
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas bill would turn off flashing red lights on wind farms at night
