The company behind a new wind farm near Edenton said it’s pursuing a replacement turbine lighting system after complaints from residents in Bertie County across the river, who say light pollution is disrupting their livelihoods in the rural area.
Dozens of locals have recently turned to officials at the county, state and federal levels to share concerns about blinking red lights from Timbermill Wind, a project that started operating last year after a decade of planning and permitting.
“You live with the turbines during the day, but it's the lights at night that really distract from the beauty of the region,” said Ron Phillips, who lives in the community of Blackrock.
Charlottesville-based Apex Clean Energy built 45 turbines stretching across about 6,500 acres of farm and timber land. It’s the second wind farm in North Carolina but the first to gain approval through the state’s new permitting system.
The turbines can generate renewable energy for the equivalent of up to 47,000 homes, according to Apex. The electricity is sold exclusively to Google to power data centers.
Kate Jordan lives in Bertie County’s Merry Hill along the Chowan River. She said she moved there from Edenton last spring, building a waterfront “dream home” that includes a remodeled trailer she rents out through Airbnb.
Several months later, she noticed red flashes from the turbines across the river, magnified by the water’s reflection.
“It’s constant blinking,” Jordan said. “For me personally, the turbines have destroyed two things I deeply value: my love for night photography and the tranquility that makes this area so special.”
She and other residents quickly mobilized to ask Apex to address the issue.
Under federal law, structures taller than 200 feet above ground level must get approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and use marking and lighting to ensure visibility for pilots.
Timbermill’s turbines are about 600 feet high and have two lights each that blink every two seconds, said Apex spokesperson Brian O’Shea.
After the recent complaints from residents, O’Shea said the company now aims to install what’s called an Aircraft Detection Lighting System, or ADLS. It would use radar to trigger lights only when aircraft are nearby and can reduce the time lights are on by more than 90%.
“We know that when we own and operate these projects that we're a long-term fixture in the community for the next 20 to 30 years, and we want to be a good neighbor,” O’Shea said. “And this is generally an easy way to mitigate the impact of the project visually.”
O’Shea said Apex uses ADLS at some of its other project sites. It wasn’t factored into Timbermill’s design because the project predates FAA’s approval of such systems.
The company is now working to design and find a vendor for the new system before submitting for the FAA’s permission as required. The agency assesses each turbine individually.
If approved, the new system likely wouldn’t be up and running until next year, O’Shea said. ADLS typically costs the company a few million dollars.
Residents say it’s a reasonable solution and hope Apex will follow through.
“Nobody's asking for them to tear (the turbines) down. At this point, they're there,” Jordan said. “It’s just, can you be polite with your lights?”
