HB 2223 Summary

• Establishes comprehensive regulatory framework for wind farms in Arizona, including permitting requirements, financial assurances, and decommissioning standards for county approval of wind farm construction and conditional use permits.

• Requires wind farm owners to obtain written consent from property owners within 6 miles, prohibits wind farms within 12 miles of residentially-zoned property, and requires municipal approval from governing bodies within 25 miles of proposed wind farms.

• Mandates wind farm owners post indemnity bonds and financial surety covering casualty cleanup, mitigation, and complete decommissioning and site restoration to original condition, with annual recertification and inflation adjustments.

• Allows property owners whose property values diminish due to wind farm permits to seek just compensation from counties within 3 years, and permits voters to challenge wind farm approvals through referendum petitions limited to affected supervisory districts.

• Requires state land department and federal land managers to obtain county board approval before leasing state or federal land for wind farms, and imposes 6-month moratorium on all wind farm permits to allow counties to develop conforming regulations.