The Livingston County Board of Commissioners approved a special‑use permit for Panther Grove 2 LLC to build a 104‑tower, 468‑megawatt commercial wind energy facility in Nebraska, Rooks Creek, Waldo and Pike townships on Aug. 14, 2025. The motion to rezone and grant the permit with the conditions drafted by staff carried on a roll call vote, 12 ayes to 5 nays.

The permit matters because the project was the most contested item on the agenda and could produce long‑term county payments tied to the development. A board member described projected county payments of about $350 million over 30 years during the discussion; the estimate was raised by a board member during debate and not introduced as county staff analysis in the meeting record.

Planning staff told the board the Livingston County Regional Planning Commission had reviewed the application in relation to the county comprehensive plan, and the Livingston County Zoning Board of Appeals held hearings over 20 meetings before unanimously recommending approval of the special use with conditions. "This is zoning case s u Dash 21 Dash 24, which pertains to the request by Panther Grove 2 LLC for the approval of a special use permit for a 104 tower, 468 megawatt commercial wind energy facility," planning staff said when introducing the case.

Board members discussed financial, regulatory and community impacts over an extended exchange. One commissioner described the vote as a difficult choice balancing financial benefit to the county with ideological objections to subsidies and renewable‑energy policy. Public comments included appeals for civility and neighborliness. Pastor Noah Prezilius urged the community to remain unified after the vote, saying, "love your neighbor as yourself," and Seth Alpoff, counsel for Panther Grove 2, thanked commissioners for their time and the work of staff and the zoning board, saying, "we appreciate the hard work that you put in on behalf of the community." Zoning board member Neil Turner urged strict adherence to the county's ordinance in decision‑making.

The board's approval adopted the findings of fact and the special conditions drafted by staff and the Zoning Board of Appeals. The record presented to the board included transcripts and evidence posted on the county website. The special‑use conditions and the resolution were distributed in advance and remain part of the administrative record. No implementation timetable or building permits were announced at the meeting; the permit approval was a land‑use decision subject to the conditions attached by the board and any permits required by other agencies.

At the end of the meeting the motion was recorded as passing, 12 ayes, 5 nays.