New lighting technology required for N.D. wind farms, but not yet approved by FAA

A wind farm west of Mandan is scheduled to be one of the first in the state to implement an alternative to blinking red lights, but the company says it still needs federal approval before installing the technology. North Dakota legislators last year directed the Public Service Commission to adopt rules that require light-mitigating technology for wind turbines. Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak said state regulators had already started requiring alternative lighting for wind projects approved since June 2016 to address complaints from the public that the blinking lights ruin the night sky.