Kern County supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved the next phase of a massive wind project near Mojave.
But, in order for the Alta East project to be approved, supervisors also required the developer to monitor radio signals from the protected California Condor and to shut down turbines if the birds get too close to them.
That is a first for any wind project in Kern County.
County staffers also recommended installing bird flight diverters on some of the towers used in the project. That condition was also approved.
"I believe significant mitigations are in place to approve this project, and I believe the benefits outweigh the costs," said 1st District Supervisor Mick Gleason.
"Obviously, all projects are going to have impacts, but I think this one has been sufficiently mitigated and it has been appropriately sited," said Zack Scrivner, 2nd District Supervisor.
The wind project would bring up to 320 wind turbines to the mountains between Tehachapi and Mojave.
Some homeowners in the area are fighting to keep the massive wind towers out of their backyards.
But, some 50 landowners who like clean energy and the money they receive by leasing their land to Alta Wind, Inc., also support the project.
