Group Formed To 'Protect Antelope County's Future'

A new group has formed in Antelope County with the goal of protecting it. 

​As a founding member of this group, Dean Smith of rural Brunswick said Protect Antelope County’s Future has more than 30 members. 

He said while group members are from all over Antelope County, there is a concentration of membership from around Brunswick and north of Neligh.

Smith has been presenting information and addressing the Antelope County Board of Supervisors at several meetings concerning wind energy projects in the county.

Smith said the size of the Upstream Wind Energy project has been a major concern.

“There has never been a project done in the county with 168 turbines at one time,” Smith said. “Prairie Breeze has grown to 120-plus turbines, but it was done in small stages. We have such a larger impact on neighboring property in this project than we have in the previous ones.”

He said the focus of this group is to support further evaluation of wind turbine regulations and protect property rights of land owners in Antelope County.

“There are more questions being brought up all of the time, and more concerns. The zoning regulations need to be reviewed,” Smith said. “There are health and safety issues that need to be reviewed, and zoning regulations that nobody’s really had to experience previously.”

At the last Antelope County Supervisors’ meeting, Smith addressed the board on behalf of Protect Antelope County’s Future, requesting the group be allowed two hours during an upcoming hearing for the Upstream Wind Energy project and requesting that no turbines be built under the current regulations.

During his brief address, Smith asked group members to stand, and 20 members of Protect Antelope County’s Future were recognized.

Smith said Protect Antelope County’s Future will have at least six presenters with prepared statements at the upcoming hearing.