Cerro Gordo supervisor candidates have varying opinions on solar, wind energy future

MASON CITY — The candidates running for the Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors have varying views on the future of solar and wind development in the rural portions of the county. The supervisors last year voted for a moratorium on new development that will expire at the end of this year, with a series of public comment meetings taking place earlier this year to further examine the issue.

First District supervisor Republican Chris Watts says people are expressing resistance to further solar development in the county. “When I first ran originally, I favored wind and solar, I believe in renewable energy, but the way they are coming down or the way they are coming at us is just too strong. You’re talking about a 3500 acre solar farm down by Burchinal. To put that in perspective for the people that don’t know what 3500 acres is — Clear Lake the body of water is 3600 acres, so you think about that, that’s a huge, huge chunk of farmland out of production.”

Watts’ opponent, Democrat Timothy Lapointe, says he’s in favor of wind and solar power.   “I’ve traveled this state extensively, and there are wind farms all over, and they are not causing undue noise. I don’t see great big graveyards of turbines like they want us to believe. Where are they? They are enormous things, you’d think you’d see them. I’ve been to these meetings, there’s about 100 people that go around and are extremely vocal, but the vast majority of the county citizens, and the ones that have talked to me, especially in my district, they like wind and solar.”

Third District supervisor Democrat Lori Meacham Ginapp says the supervisors need to listen to the people. “My feeling is that no matter how I see it, I’m not here for my feelings. I’m here for the people who voted me in. I am their voice. We need to listen to what they want. No matter how we feel on anything, we need to remember it’s not us that we are voting for. It’s for our constituents who we are voting for.”

Republican challenger Carl Ginapp says it’s a topic that he’s seen little support for. “We represent the people, not just of our district, but the entire county, and I went to several of those meetings too, and there was very minimal support for any wind or solar. There was a lot of negative. I do respect  land owner’s rights, but when everything I’ve heard has been negative, it’s really hard for me to try and support something that would be going against the constituents, because that is what we are here to represent.”

The candidates made their comments during recent candidate programs on northiownow.com. Those programs can be viewed below