wind turbine cases raise question about Beaufort County turbine ordinance | Eastern NC Now

Beaufort County has a weak solar "farm" ordinance, but no wind turbine ordinance.  We do not have any wind turbines now but they have started to appear in NC counties northeast of us.  This is important because wind turbines can cause physical and economic harm to citizens living near them and to wildlife, especially birds.

Appellate courts in at least three countries as well as several US states have recognized the liablity of wind companies for harm to citizens living nearby.  Just last week, in the latest case, the High Court in County Wexford, Ireland, a wind farm company admitted liability after a 12 day hearing for noise, vibration, and shadow flicker causing a couple to be unable to live in their home a kilometer away from a wind farm.  The court will now decide the couple's damages.  They are seeking money damages for loss of use of their home, money damages for health impacts, and an injunction to shut down the wind farm.

https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2025/03/14/wind-farm-owners-admit-liability-to-nuisance-claims-made-by-wexford-couple/

Legislation is now pending in Arizona to ban wind turbines within twelve miles of property zoned as residential, which would ban them from 90% of the state.

https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2025/03/14/wind-farm-owners-admit-liability-to-nuisance-claims-made-by-wexford-couple/

In Europe, conservative Bavaria imposes the greatest setback from residential property, which is ten times the height of the turbine.  For the current generation of turbines, that means more than two kilometers.  This restriction was imposed beginiing i 2016.

https://stopthesethings.com/2016/05/26/german-wind-farm-backlash-begins-bavarias-high-court-confirms-2km-setback-rule/