Whitman County’s current wind energy code is not just outdated—it is fundamentally out of step with the physical realities of modern turbines. The setback distances under discussion are insufficient, not only in terms of visual impact, which is far more than a matter of taste, but also in terms of basic public safety.
A 700-foot-tall industrial turbine with 239-foot blades spinning at 10 revolutions per minute may look slow from a distance, but at the tip, the blade is moving at roughly 250 feet per second—about 170 miles per hour. That is not a theoretical number. It is the speed of any object launched from the blade tip in the event of failure, ice throw, or debris release.
Using standard projectile calculations, the potential throw distance from such a blade is greater than 2,400 feet. Chunks of ice, carbon fiber, and debris will be launched from each turbine over the life of any potential wind project on the Palouse.
And yet, Whitman County’s current code allows wind turbines to be placed within just a few hundred feet of neighboring property lines.
Even the turbine manufacturers do not recommend that. Vestas, one of the largest suppliers, calls for 2,600 feet of setback in the event of failure.1 Their technician manuals warn staff to remain more than 1,300 feet from a operating turbines half the size of those proposed for the Palouse. These are the industry’s own standards for risk. There is no justification for Whitman County to fall short of them.
The safety hazard is real. But so is the scale of the visual impact. The Palouse is not just another place on a map. The Palouse is one of the most photographed landscapes in the United States. The intrusion of skyscraper-sized turbines alters not only the experience of the land but its ecological and economic identity. For all but a few landowners who have abandoned their solemn duty to their (former) homes and neighbors, this change is not voluntary; it is imposed.
Save the Palouse is encouraged by the county commission’s decision to adopt a moratorium and begin a long-overdue update of the wind code. That is a necessary first step—but the current proposals still fall short. As it stands, nothing prevents turbines from being placed perilously close to property lines or from dominating the viewshed from treasured landmarks like Kamiak Butte and Steptoe Butte.
The Planning Commission will meet on April 2. Now is the time to speak up.
Contact your county commissioners. Tell them:
- Setbacks must be measured from property lines and structures, not just residences.
- Minimum distances should reflect safety guidance—not developer preference.
- The county must acknowledge both the visual and physical scale of modern towers and act accordingly.
Sample Email to Whitman County
Subject: Please Strengthen Wind Turbine Setbacks for Whitman County
Dear Commissioners,
Thank you for adopting a moratorium and beginning the process of updating our county’s wind energy code. Massive industrial towers pose serious safety risks in the event of mechanical failure or ice throw, and their size dramatically alters our rural landscape. I support Save the Palouse’s recommendations and urge you to prioritize both safety and the preservation of our unique viewsheds as you revise the code.
Thank you for your time and service.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Town or Address]
- Vestas has scrubbed safety setbacks from their public V150 and V162 manual, but a 2009 V90 (90 meter) turbine manual and legal exhibits demonstrate an approximate 2600ft recommended setback for the turbines proposed on the Palouse. ↩︎
