PIERRE, S.D.(KCCR)- A proposed wind farm along the Hughes/Hyde County border will stay just that for now; proposed.  The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission moved last week to postpone an evidentiary hearing for the North Bend Wind Farm.  That hearing was set for mid-April.  North Bend lawyer Brett Koenecke says Hughes County has not taken up a conditional use permit for the project yet.

Hughes County is not an intervenor in the project but did submit a letter in the comments portion of the North Bend docket.  The letter states the County wants a thorough Haul Road agreement in place first and noted how Engie, the company behind North Bend, has done work on the project already through test drilling, damaging county roads.  North Bend wants to extend the deadline.  Michael Bollwig is an intervenor in the docket; as the wind farm would be built near his land in Hughes County.

Commission Chairman Chris Nelson says delaying the docket is probably best for now.

Nelson says it would be best to wait and see if Hughes County issues a conditional use permit first before moving forward with the docket to save time and work load for P-U-C staff.