H.F. 2284 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 476.53B Wind turbine inspections. 1 1. The purpose of this section is to establish routine 2 inspection requirements for wind turbines in Iowa to ensure the 3 safety, efficiency, and compliance with state standards. These 4 measures aim to prevent accidents, protect public safety, and 5 promote responsible renewable energy generation in the state. 6 2. As used in this section: 7 a. “Inspection” means a systematic process of evaluating 8 the condition of a wind turbine, including its structural, 9 mechanical, and electrical components. 10 b. “Qualified inspector” means a professional who meets 11 training, experience, and examination standards in the field of 12 wind turbine inspection and maintenance. 13 c. “Wind turbine” means a mechanical device that converts 14 the kinetic energy from wind into electricity and has a 15 nameplate generating capacity greater than one hundred 16 kilowatts. 17 3. a. All wind turbines in Iowa shall be inspected by a 18 qualified inspector at least once every twelve months. The 19 inspection must include a detailed assessment of the wind 20 turbine’s structural, mechanical, electrical, and safety 21 systems, including all the following: 22 (1) Blade condition and wear. 23 (2) Tower integrity. 24 (3) Gearbox and electrical components. 25 (4) Safety features, including brakes and emergency 26 shut-off systems. 27 (5) Maintenance history. 28 b. In the event of any significant operational anomaly, 29 safety concern, or after extreme weather events, including 30 lightning, an additional inspection shall be conducted within 31 seventy-two hours of the event by a qualified inspector. 32 c. Within thirty days of each inspection required under 33 paragraph “a” or “b” , the wind turbine operator must submit a 34 wind turbine inspection report to the commission. The report 35 -1- LSB 6148YH (3) 91 sb/js 1/ 4

H.F. 2284 must include all of the following: 1 (1) Findings of the inspection, including any deficiencies 2 or necessary repairs. 3 (2) Documentation of any corrective actions taken or plans 4 to address deficiencies. 5 (3) Certification of compliance with applicable state and 6 federal safety standards. 7 d. If any safety concerns are identified during the 8 inspection, the wind turbine operator must halt operation of 9 the wind turbine and correct any issues within ninety days 10 after the submission of the inspection report. If correction 11 of the issues requires more than ninety days, the operator must 12 submit a detailed timeline and plan for the resolution of the 13 issues to the commission. 14 4. a. A wind turbine operator who fails to conduct an 15 inspection required under subsection 3 shall be subject to a 16 civil penalty of no more than five thousand dollars per turbine 17 per inspection period. 18 b. A wind turbine operator who fails to submit an inspection 19 report to the commission within thirty days of an inspection, 20 as required under subsection 3, paragraph “c” , shall be subject 21 to a civil penalty of no more than two thousand dollars. 22 c. A wind turbine operator in violation of subsection 3, 23 paragraph “d” , is subject to a civil penalty of up to ten 24 thousand dollars per turbine. 25 d. A wind turbine operator who repeatedly fails to comply 26 with the inspection and maintenance requirements under 27 subsection 3 is subject to increased penalties or suspension of 28 operation of any noncompliant wind turbines at the discretion 29 of the commission. 30 5. a. The commission shall be responsible for the 31 administration and enforcement of this section, including 32 the inspection frequency, compliance reporting, and penalty 33 assessments. 34 b. The commission may conduct random audits of wind turbine 35 -2- LSB 6148YH (3) 91 sb/js 2/ 4

H.F. 2284 inspections and reports to verify compliance. 1 c. The commission shall maintain a public database of wind 2 turbine inspections, including inspection dates, findings, 3 corrective actions, and compliance status. 4 6. This section applies to all wind turbine operators 5 and wind energy conversion facilities, as defined in section 6 476C.1, within the state of Iowa. 7 EXPLANATION 8 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 9 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 10 This bill relates to wind turbine inspections. 11 The bill creates a new Code section with the purpose of 12 establishing routine inspection requirements for wind turbines 13 to ensure safety, efficiency, and compliance with state 14 standards in order to prevent accidents, protect public safety, 15 and promote responsible renewable energy generation. 16 The bill requires all wind turbines in the state to be 17 inspected by a qualified inspector at least once every 18 12 months. The inspection must include an assessment of 19 structural, mechanical, electrical, and safety systems. The 20 bill also requires an additional inspection within 72 hours 21 following a significant operational anomaly, safety concern, or 22 extreme weather event, including lightning. 23 The bill requires a wind turbine operator to submit an 24 inspection report to the Iowa utilities commission (commission) 25 within 30 days of each required inspection. The report must 26 include the findings of the inspection, documentation of 27 corrective actions taken or planned, and certification of 28 compliance with applicable state and federal safety standards. 29 If an inspection identifies safety concerns, the bill requires 30 the operator to halt operation of the wind turbine and to 31 correct the issues within 90 days after submission of the 32 inspection report. If correction will require more than 90 33 days, the operator must submit a detailed timeline and plan for 34 resolving the issues to the commission. 35 -3- LSB 6148YH (3) 91 sb/js 3/ 4

H.F. 2284 The bill establishes civil penalties for noncompliance with 1 inspection requirements. An operator who fails to conduct 2 a required inspection is subject to a civil penalty of up 3 to $5,000 per turbine per inspection period. An operator 4 who fails to timely submit an inspection report is subject 5 to a civil penalty of up to $2,000. An operator who fails 6 to properly address identified safety concerns is subject 7 to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per turbine. The bill 8 further authorizes increased penalties or suspension of turbine 9 operation for repeated violations, at the discretion of the 10 commission. 11 The bill authorizes the commission to administer and 12 enforce the bill, including oversight of inspection frequency, 13 reporting compliance, and penalty assessments. The bill 14 authorizes the commission to conduct random audits of 15 inspection reports to verify compliance and requires the 16 commission to maintain a public database containing wind 17 turbine inspection information. 18 The bill provides that the inspection and enforcement 19 requirements apply to all wind turbine operators and wind 20 energy conversion facilities within the state. 21 -4- LSB 6148YH (3) 91 sb/js 4/ 4