The Pike County Board has finally given the OK for a new wind farm to move forward.
The Journal Courier reports that the board members signed a road use agreement with Greenbacker Renewable Energy at a special meeting on Tuesday for the Panther Creek Wind Farm.
The Pike Press previously reported in early April that dirt work had already started northeast of Pittsfield without the execution of the road use agreement with the county. County officials said at the time it was beginning to breed an air of mistrust with the company as the company had pushed the envelope to get the project started.
The now-signed agreement will allow the company to begin construction of inner roads off County Highway 13, which would lead to some of the turbines in the proposed farm. Greenbacker will now be required to keep up the maintenance of the roads while construction is ongoing. The county is also said to have signed an agreement with Springfield-based engineering firm Cummins Engineering Corporation to oversee the road construction.
Pike County Board Chair Andy Borrowman told the Journal Courier that he believes the company is also attempting to execute agreements with the City of Pittsfield to build more inner roads off of township roads. Greenbacker is also awaiting approval from the Pike County Zoning Administration to receive building permits for the turbines themselves. Borrowman says that the company was hoping to get started on turbine construction between mid-June and July 1st.