Relating to wind turbine inspections, and providing penalties

This bill relates to wind turbine inspections. The bill creates a new Code section with the purpose of establishing routine inspection requirements for wind turbines to ensure safety, efficiency, and compliance with state standards in order to prevent accidents, protect public safety, and promote responsible renewable energy generation. The bill requires all wind turbines in the state to be inspected by a qualified inspector at least once every 12 months. The inspection must include an assessment of structural, mechanical, electrical, and safety systems. The bill also requires an additional inspection within 72 hours following a significant operational anomaly, safety concern, or extreme weather event, including lightning. The bill requires a wind turbine operator to submit an inspection report to the Iowa utilities commission (commission) within 30 days of each required inspection. The report must include the findings of the inspection, documentation of corrective actions taken or planned, and certification of compliance with applicable state and federal safety standards. If an inspection identifies safety concerns, the bill requires the operator to halt operation of the wind turbine and to correct the issues within 90 days after submission of the inspection report. If correction will require more than 90 days, the operator must submit a detailed timeline and plan for resolving the issues to the commission. The bill establishes civil penalties for noncompliance with inspection requirements. An operator who fails to conduct a required inspection is subject to a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per turbine per inspection period. An operator who fails to timely submit an inspection report is subject to a civil penalty of up to $2,000. An operator who fails to properly address identified safety concerns is subject to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per turbine. The bill further authorizes increased penalties or suspension of turbine operation for repeated violations, at the discretion of the commission. The bill authorizes the commission to administer and enforce the bill, including oversight of inspection frequency, reporting compliance, and penalty assessments. The bill authorizes the commission to conduct random audits of inspection reports to verify compliance and requires the commission to maintain a public database containing wind turbine inspection information. The bill provides that the inspection and enforcement requirements apply to all wind turbine operators and wind energy conversion facilities within the state.