BENSON, Minn. — Triggered by expectations of large renewable energy development, Swift County in west-central Minnesota has been working for a year to update its ordinance governing wind, solar, and now also battery storage projects.

A public hearing on a draft ordinance brought forward by the county’s Planning Commission showed that the winds of change remain turbulent. An estimated 105 people attended the hearing Tuesday in the Benson High School Performing Arts Center. A majority of those speaking voiced concerns about wind and solar development, with some asking for greater setbacks and other requirements.

At the hearing’s end, the Planning Commission agreed to move the draft ordinance in its current form to the County Board of Commissioners for consideration, but with a caveat

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