Last month, the Lee County Board voted 18-4 against adopting a new wind energy ordinance that was recommended by the Lee County Zoning Board.

At first glance, this would appear to show a strong consensus on the issue, until you discover that “no” votes came from both sides of the debate.

Some board members voted “no” because they thought the proposed ordinance was too stringent. The ordinance included a setback of 1,400 feet or 3.5 times the height of the turbine, not significantly different than existing guidelines.