Wind for Wisconsin

Green Energy Summit

2009-12-02T09:47:00.003-06:00

The 2010 Green Energy Summit will take place at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee, March 24-26, 2010. Topics include Renewables, Energy Efficiency, Sustainability, Green Business, Social Responsibility, Urban Green Career Pathways, and Water.

See website for more details.

Homegrown Renewable Energy Bus Tour, Nov. 13th

2009-11-02T10:26:00.002-06:00

A news release issued by Wisconsin Farmers Union:

Chippewa Falls, Wis. (October 30, 2009) - The Wisconsin Farmers Union and other Homegrown Renewable Energy Campaign partners will host a bus tour on Nov. 13 to highlight the benefits of four homegrown renewable energy policies promoted by the campaign and the opportunities for clean energy jobs in Wisconsin.

The four signature partners of the activities are Wisconsin Farmers Union, the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, Clean Wisconsin and RENEW Wisconsin. The Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection and the Office of Energy Independence are co-sponsors of the event.

The bus tour will begin at 9 a.m. at the Montfort Wind Farm, 254 Highway 18, Montfort, Wis. The wind farm is an example of one way to reduce carbon emissions and emphasizes the campaign's advocacy for a Low-Carbon Fuel Standard. A LCFS calls for a reduction in carbon emissions from transportation fuels, based on the carbon content of all fuels, and the transformation of the market.

The Fuels for Schools and Communities Program and the Biomass Crop Reserve Program will be addressed at the second stop on the tour - at the Meister Cheese Plant, 1160 Industrial Drive, Muscoda, Wis. The cheese plant uses a wood-chip heating system. Research at the University of Wisconsin will also be highlighted demonstrate the prospects for Wisconsin farmers to grow biomass crops.

Providing funding for schools and communities to install renewable energy projects that use biomass crops will create demand for renewable energy. The Biomass Crop Reserve Program provides incentives for farmers to meet that demand by growing biomass crops.

The third stop will be at the Cardinal Glass factory in Mazomanie, Wis. Cardinal Glass is one of the leading suppliers of glass for solar panels. The stop is an example of how homegrown renewable energy can provide jobs for Wisconsin.

Renewable energy buyback rates, the fourth component of the Homegrown Renewable Energy Campaign, will set utility payments for small renewable energy producers who want to feed energy into the electric grid. The tour will stop at a residential home in Ridgeway, Wis. using solar panels to feed electricity into the grid.

The bus will return to the Montfort Wind Farm at 5 p.m.

To register for the Homegrown Renewable Energy Campaign Bus Tour, contact Mike Stranz, WFU Government Relations Specialist, by Nov. 9 at 608-256-6661 or email mstranz@wisconsinfarmersunion.com. A $10 registration fee, payable by cash or check the day of the event, covers the cost of the tour, lunch and snacks.

CLICK HERE for more information on the Homegrown Renewable Energy Bus Tour.

Wind for Wisconsin urges legislators to support wind siting reform

2009-09-15T10:30:00.001-05:00

TO: WISCONSIN LEGISLATORS
FROM: THE MEMBERS OF WIND FOR WISCONSIN
SUBJECT: SUPPORT FOR AB 256 AND SB 185
DATE: 9/15/2009

The members of Wind for Wisconsin urge you to vote for AB 256 and SB 185 as amended by Substitute Amendment 2.

AB 256 and SB 185 have and deserve bipartisan support. The legislation:
• Increases Wisconsin’s energy independence;
• Reduces our dependence of fossil fuel which is subject to great price volatility;
• Will help create jobs;
• Will strengthen rural economies by giving land owners hosting wind turbines new income from rental payments.

The legislation offers benefits to our economy both for the short and long-term. The Operating Engineers report that construction of WEPCO’s Blue Sky Green Fields project created 400,000 labor hours. Wind projects that are developed in Wisconsin can also rely on the manufacturing capabilities of our state. For instance, Tower Tech in Manitowoc is poised to build the towers for Wisconsin-based wind farms. Passage of this legislation will also signal to national and international wind companies that Wisconsin is open for business.

We urge your support.
___________________________________________________
*Wind for Wisconsin is a single purpose coalition organized to pass wind siting reform with the financial support of Wind on the Wires and RENEW Wisconsin.

2009-08-05T13:11:00.000-05:00

Click below to find documents from Wind for Wisconsin.

Fact sheets
News releases
Legislative testimony
News stories
PSC testimony and filings
Editorials
Letters to the editor
Supporters
Other

Wind siting reform gains strong bipartisan vote in committee

2009-08-05T09:51:00.000-05:00

On a 6-1 vote, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Utilities, Energy, and Rail passes SB185, wind siting reform

Date: August 4, 2009
Contact: Noah Seligman, 608-310-3338

The 7-member Senate Committee on Commerce, Utilities, Energy, and Rail voted 6-1 to advance SB 185 (Assembly companion AB 256), wind siting reform, to the full Senate.

The vote was bipartisan, with four Democrats and two Republicans on the committee voting in favor of the bill.

Wind siting reform has 20 cosponsors in the Assembly and 11 in the Senate, with support from both parties.

A substitute amendment was added on a unanimous vote that would require the PSC to hold two public hearings outside of Dane County as part of its rule-making. The amendment also provided additional wildlife protections, technical changes, and responsible consideration of Smart Growth planning in regulating wind energy projects.

“The bipartisan committee approval demonstrates strong consensus on the need for wind siting reform,” said Curt Pawlisch, spokesman for Wind for Wisconsin. “Wind siting reform will be an engine for economic activity in Wisconsin, attract new investment opportunities, and support current state energy policy.”

Wind for Wisconsin is optimistic that a floor vote in the Senate would garner the same strong bipartisan support demonstrated in committee and among cosponsors.

If It Is Broke Please Fix It; Wisconsin Needs Uniform Siting Standards

2009-07-15T15:02:00.005-05:00

Date: July 15, 2009
Contact: Noah Seligman, 608-310-3338

Circuit Court decision affirms problems with wind energy regulatory framework
A Court of Appeals decision today (Ecker Brothers V. Calumet County) ruled that local units of government do not have the power to adopt siting standards of general applicability for wind energy systems. This decision eliminates several restrictive ordinances that purported to regulate wind energy, but merely served to block wind energy development.

“The ruling casts substantial uncertainty about wind energy regulation in Wisconsin. In order for the state to move forward with a balanced approach to renewable energy growth, the legislature must pass uniform siting standards,” said Curt Pawlisch, an attorney for RENEW Wisconsin, one of the sponsoring organizations for the Wind for Wisconsin coalition. “We urge the legislature to act quickly and pass uniform sitting standards when it returns in September.”

SB 185/AB 256 directs the Public Service Commission (PSC) to initiate an administrative rule-making process to establish statewide siting standards for wind energy projects. The PSC is an independent regulatory agency dedicated to serving the public interest. The bill draft requires the PSC to establish an advisory committee of diverse interests to advise the Commission on the rules. AB 256 was vote out of the Assembly Committee on Energy & Utilities on a 10-2 vote last month, and has strong bipartisan support like its Senate companion.

"The Court did more than simply declare Calumet County's wind ordinance to be unlawful," said Michael Vickerman, Executive Director of RENEW Wisconsin.

"The Court's decision also stripped away the legal foundation supporting all Wisconsin ordinances that contain blanket restrictions on wind projects. The decision erases unreasonable local ordinances that effectively prohibited any new wind development in this state for projects under 100 MW.

“A commitment to wind energy development will serve as an economic catalyst for Wisconsin, creating jobs in manufacturing, construction, transportation, and operation & maintenance of wind turbines,” Vickerman said. “SB 185/AB 256 makes our state more attractive to manufacturing and other supply chain businesses that create state jobs. By establishing statewide standards for siting small and medium sized wind farms, legislators can provide enduring economic opportunity for Wisconsin,” he said.

Wind Siting Bill Passes Major Legislative Hurdle with Strong Bipartisan Support

2009-06-17T15:39:00.001-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 17th, 2009
Contact: Amber Meyer Smith, Program Director, 608.251.7020 ext. 16, 608.347.6026 (cell)

Madison, Wis. – Wisconsin could soon see greater growth in the promising wind energy industry after the Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities passed Assembly Bill 256 today, a bipartisan bill that would encourage growth in the clean energy industry by replacing a chaotic patchwork of local regulations with sensible statewide standards for permitting safe wind farms.

“Wind energy holds the potential to address many of the greatest problems facing our state – it can clean our environment and reduce global warming pollution while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and creating jobs for hard working Wisconsinites,” said Amber Meyer Smith, program director at Clean Wisconsin the state’s largest environmental advocacy organization. “With so much to gain, we’re extremely encouraged that the legislature seems poised to eliminate administrative barriers holding up the development of this promising infant industry.”

As other industries struggled in poor economic times and cut workers, the wind energy industry grew immensely in 2008 – increasing its national workforce by 70 percent to over 85,000 workers. Unfortunately, while wind developers stand ready to invest in Wisconsin’s economy and put Wisconsinites to work building safe wind farms, a complicated system of over-stringent local regulations currently puts our state at a disadvantage to neighboring states, holding up more than an estimated 500 megawatts of wind farm development in the state.

Assembly bill 256 would charge the Wisconsin Public Service Commission with studying and determining safe permitting standards for wind farms, then replacing the current disorganized system that discourages the growth of the wind energy industry with sensible statewide standards.

“In challenging economic times, why not help investors put Wisconsinites to work supplying clean energy to power our homes, schools and businesses?” said Smith. “The Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities deserves praise for carefully crafting legislation that ensures safe wind farms will be permitted across the state.”

Unlike energy produced from dirty fossil fuels, wind farms developments serve as an investment in Wisconsin’s economy by putting Wisconsinites to work producing clean, renewable energy. With growth of the wind energy industry, Wisconsinites will manufacture wind turbine parts, operate machinery necessary to erect and maintain wind turbines, and build access roads. Wind farms also provide a valuable new source of revenue to farmers who can lease their land to wind farm companies to harvest energy from the sky as farmers continue to cultivate crops from fields below.

“Why send billions of dollars out of state for dirty, polluting fossil fuels when we could invest in our own economy and produce clean energy right here in Wisconsin?” said Smith. “We applaud the representatives on the Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities for their bipartisan vote today to make Wisconsin a cleaner, better place to live.”

Assembly Bill 256 now moves to the Senate and the full Assembly for a vote. The full Assembly could vote on the measure as early as next week.

###
Clean Wisconsin, an environmental advocacy organization, protects Wisconsin’s clean water and air and advocates for clean energy by being an effective voice in the state legislature and by holding elected officials and polluters accountable. Founded in 1970 as Wisconsin’s Environmental Decade, Clean Wisconsin exposes corporate polluters, makes sure existing environmental laws are enforced, and educates citizens and businesses. On behalf of its 10,000 members and its coalition partners, Clean Wisconsin protects the special places that make Wisconsin such a wonderful place to live, work and play. Phone: 608-251-7020, Fax: 608-251-1655, Email: information@cleanwisconsin.org, Website: www.cleanwisconsin.org.

News releases

2009-06-17T15:37:00.007-05:00

2009
08.05.09 Wind siting reform gains strong bipartisan vote in committee
07.15.09 If It Is Broke Please Fix It: Wisconsin Needs Uniform Siting Standards
06.17.09 Wind Siting Reform Gains Strong Bipartisan Committee Vote - Wind for Wisconsin
06.17.09 Wind siting bill passes major legislative hurdle with strong bipartisan support - Clean Wisconsin

Wind Siting Reform Gains Strong Bipartisan Committee Vote

2009-06-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

Date: June 17, 2009
Contact: Noah Seligman, 608-215-9370

The Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities passes AB 256, wind siting reform, on a 10-2 vote The 12-member Assembly Committee on Energy & Utilities voted 10-2 to advance AB 256 (Senate companion SB 185), wind siting reform, to the full Assembly. The vote was bipartisan, with six Democrats and four Republicans on the committee voting in favor of the bill. Wind siting reform has 20 cosponsors in the Assembly and 11 in the Senate, with support from both parties.

A substitute amendment was added on an 11-1 vote that would require the PSC to hold two public hearings outside of Dane County as part of its rule-making. The amendment also provided additional wildlife protections, technical changes, and inclusion of Smart Growth planning in regulating wind energy projects.

“The bipartisan committee approval demonstrates strong consensus on the need for wind siting reform,” said Curt Pawlisch, spokesman for Wind for Wisconsin. “Wind siting reform will be an engine for economic activity in Wisconsin, attract new investment opportunities, and support current state energy policy.”

SB 185/AB 256 directs the Public Service Commission (PSC) to initiate an administrative rule-making process to establish statewide siting standards for wind energy projects. The PSC is an independent regulatory agency dedicated to serving the public interest. The bill draft requires the PSC to establish an advisory committee of diverse interests to advise the Commission on the rules. The legislature will have the opportunity to review the proposed rules prior to their publication.

Wind for Wisconsin is optimistic that a floor vote in the Assembly would garner the same strong bipartisan support demonstrated in committee and among cosponsors.
###

Wind siting reform and local control

2009-06-16T11:40:00.003-05:00

From Wind for Wisconsin:

SB 185/AB 256 would direct the PSC to establish statewide siting standards for wind energy projects. Projects fewer than 100 MW in size would still be reviewed and approved by a local unit of government after the rules are adopted.

+ The status quo is the only approach to wind siting that would leave local control completely unchanged. The status quo has stalled over 600 MW of potential wind projects forfeiting thousands of Wisconsin jobs and millions of investment dollars.
+ The bill draft requires the PSC to establish an advisory committee of diverse interests to advise the Commission on the rules. Representatives from local units of government will be part of that advisory committee.
+ In 2006 the WTA passed a resolution at its annual convention entitled “Uniform Standards for Public Health or Safety of Wind Energy Systems.” The resolution called for uniform standards, and was the impetus for wind siting reform legislation.
+ The bill draft from the previous legislative session was negotiated with the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Wisconsin Towns Association. The WTA was in favor of wind siting reform last session while the WCA was neutral.1 The bill draft for the current legislative session is substantively similar.
+ An amendment from the Wisconsin Realtors Association (supported by Wind for Wisconsin) allows local governments to deny a project application if a project would be sited in an area that has been primarily designated for future residential or commercial development.2
+ Under SB 185/AB 256, local units of government would maintain their central role in the regulatory process for wind energy systems. Applications for wind energy projects under 100 MW in size would still be subject to review and approval at the local level.

Local governments would be responsible for enforcing permit standards. Local governments would maintain control over their roads including restoration requirements and regulating driveway use (access roads).

In the coming weeks, the state Legislature will have a chance to make it easier for clean energy creating wind turbines to proliferate in Wisconsin…Critics likely will charge that the bill is an attack on local control. However, it still lets local governments make wind-siting decisions, and allows those who disagree with them to appeal to the PSC and the courts.3
-Eau Claire Leader-Telegram

References
1 The WTA has registered in opposition in 2009. The WCA has remained neutral.
2 Maps adopted under s. 66.1001(2)(b) on or before June 1, 2009.
3 http://www.leadertelegram.com/story-opinions.asp?id=BJP8BE09JFU

Wind Energy is a Safe, Proven Technology

2009-06-15T15:37:00.007-05:00

Scientists conclude that there is no evidence wind turbines have an adverse impact on human health.(1) Wind opponents have circulated deceptive videos and misleading photos in an attempt to scare legislators into inaction.

+ Wind energy is safe, secure, and reliable
+ Reject the fear campaign from wind opponents
+ SB 185/AB 256 would establish a responsible forum for reviewing scientific information regarding wind energy There are over 120 Gigawatts(2) of wind turbines installed worldwide, and since 2005, global wind generation capacity has more than doubled.

Currently, 76 countries are using commercial wind energy.(3) The U.S. military uses wind turbines to reduce fuel costs and the need for fuel shipments in dangerous areas.(4)

Wind turbines provide safe and reliable energy. At present there are well over 10,000utility-scale wind turbines installed and operating in North America, and tens of thousands of people who live and work in proximity to these wind turbines. Of these individuals, a very small number have claimed that their health has been adversely affected by wind turbines. Surveys of peer-reviewed scientific literature have consistently found no evidence linking wind turbines to human health concerns.

Wind power opponents frequently quote Nina Pierpont to frighten the public and convince decision makers that wind power is dangerous. Her view is not supported by scientists who specialize in acoustics, low frequency sound and related human health impacts. It is important to point out that Dr. Pierpont’s writings have not been published in peer-reviewed journals, a fact that raises questions as to the scientific validity of her research.

References
1 http://www.canwea.ca/media/release/release_e.php?newsId=37
2 1 Gigawatt = 1 billion watts.
3 http://www.wwindea.org/home/images/stories/worldwindenergyreport2008_s.pdf
4 http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0907/p01s04-usmi.html

The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) has compiled a list of articles and publications on the subject from reputable sources in Europe and North America. Below are summaries of these articles:

1. “Infrasound from Wind Turbines – Fact, Fiction or Deception?” by Geoff Leventhall in Vol. 34 No.2 (2006) of the peer-reviewed journal Canadian Acoustics. This paper looks at the question of whether or not wind turbines produce infrasound at levels that can impact humans. It directly addresses assertions frequently made by Dr. Nina Pierpont, author of a recent book entitled “Wind Turbine Syndrome”. “In the USA, a high profile objector (Nina Pierpont of Malone NY) placed an advertisement in a local paper, consisting entirely of selected quotations from a previously published technical paper by van den Berg (Van den Berg 2004). However the comment “[i.e. infrasonic]”, as shown in Fig 3, was added in the first line of the first quotation in a manner which might mislead naive readers into believing that it was part of the original. The van den Berg paper was based on A-weighted measurements and had no connection with infrasound. So, not only is the advertisement displaying the advertiser’s self deception, but this has also been propagated to others who have read it.

[…] The comment, [i.e. infrasonic], added into Fig 3 gives incorrect information. Claims of infrasound are irrelevant and possibly harmful, should they lead to unnecessary fears.”
www.wind.appstate.edu/reports/06-06Leventhall-Infras-WT-CanAcoustics2.pdf

2. “Wind Turbine Facilities Noise Issues” by Dr. Ramani Ramakrishnan for the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. This study looked into the claims made in the doctoral thesis of G.P. van den Berg, a source frequently cited by Dr. Pierpont. It concluded that: “The research work undertaken by G. P. van den Berg didn’t provide scientific evidence to support the few major hypotheses postulated concerning the wind turbine noise characteristics.”
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/env_reg/er/documents/2008/Noise%20Report.pdf

3. “Wind Turbine Acoustic Noise”, A White Paper by Dr. Anthony Rodgers at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. This paper looked into the issue of both sound and infrasound (low frequency sound) and concluded “There is no reliable evidence that infrasound below the perception threshold produces physiological or psychological effects.”

4. “Research into Aerodynamic Modulation of Wind Turbine Noise”, University of Salford, UK, July 2007. This paper looked into claims that it was not infrasound, but “amplitude modulation” (AM) that presented problems. The paper concludes that “This shows that in terms of the number of people affected, wind farm noise is a small-scale problem compared with other types of noise; for example the number of complaints about industrial noise exceeds those about windfarms by around three orders of magnitude” and that “The low incidence of AM and the low numbers of people adversely affected make it difficult to justify further research funding in preference to other more widespread noise issues.” http://usir.salford.ac.uk/1554/1/Salford_Uni_Report_Turbine_Sound.pdf

5. “Electricity generation and health” in the peer-reviewed journal The Lancet. The paper concludes that “Forms of renewable energy generation are still in the early phases of their technological development, but most seem to be associated with few adverse effects on health” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17876910

6. “Health impact of wind turbines”, prepared by the Municipality of Chatham-Kent Health & Family Services Public Health Unit. This is a comprehensive review of available literature on the subject. This paper concludes and concurs with the original quote from Chatham-Kent’s Acting Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David olby: “In summary, as long as the Ministry of Environment Guidelines for location criteria of wind farms are followed, it is my opinion that there will be negligible adverse health impacts on Chatham-Kent citizens. Although opposition to wind farms on aesthetic grounds is a legitimate point of view, opposition to wind farms on the basis of potential adverse health consequences is not justified by the evidence.” http://www.chatham-kent.ca/NR/rdonlyres/CA6E8804-
D6FF-42A5-B93B-5229FA127875/7046/5a.pdf

7. Energy, sustainable development and health, World Health Organization, June 2004. The study finds that “Renewable sources, such as photovoltaic and wind energy, are associated with fewer health effects. [...] The increased use of renewable energy, especially wind, solar and photovoltaic energy, will have positive health benefits, some of which have been estimated.” There is also a table on page 79 showing the relative health effects of nearly all sources of energy, which clearly shows wind as negligible. http://www.euro.who.int/document/eehc/ebakdoc08.pdf

Unnecessary obstacles

2009-06-12T09:43:00.001-05:00

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 12, 2009
The single biggest constraint on increasing wind generation of electricity in Wisconsin is the permitting process, according to Clean, Responsible Energy for Wisconsin's Economy, a group working on implementing the recommendations of the Governor's Task Force on Global Warming. And one of the biggest problems in the permitting process is local opposition to wind farms.

CREWE has said that over 600 megawatts of planned wind developments are stalled across Wisconsin "due to midstream changes in regulations and procedures." The Journal Sentinel's Thomas Content pointed out in an article on Monday that more than a dozen wind projects around the state have been slowed by local opposition.

That can't continue. What's needed, as CREWE officials argue, is regulatory reform and, specifically, uniform siting standards for all wind farms that would be built in the state. Such legislation has been introduced. It deserves adoption by the Legislature.

A report released Monday by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs said that cutting carbon dioxide emissions won't be cheap, but delaying action on addressing global warming will be worse, both for the environment and the Midwest economy, according to another article by Content. The group is urging that the Midwest turn the challenge of energy and climate change into a competitive advantage and says enactment of greenhouse gas regulations is "essential to the Midwest's future prosperity and competitiveness."

A recent study has preliminarily concluded that winds may be slowing in parts of the country because of global warming. However, the findings are still speculative, and those changes appear to be less in states bordering the Great Lakes. Wind power, we're confident, still can play a key part in a balanced energy mix and help to develop the green economy in Wisconsin and create new jobs.

Wisconsin has made significant progress on wind energy, but wind power still accounts for only about 5% of the power supply. That needs to be improved. Transportation difficulties, budget cuts and competition from other states are also obstacles to that improvement, and each needs to be dealt with.

But Wisconsin can improve its position, and the first step is approving uniform wind siting regulations for the state. Local officials and residents should still have a say, and not every project deserves approval. Some sites are clearly better than others. But the best way to deal with developing new sites is to have a uniform wind siting standard on which developers and energy companies can rely.

Wisconsin can do great things with wind and other alternative sources of energy. The time to start is now.

Wind Energy = Jobs

2009-06-12T03:52:00.000-05:00

A commitment to wind energy development will serve as an economic catalyst for Wisconsin, creating jobs in manufacturing, construction, transportation, and operation & maintenance of wind turbines. SB 185/AB 256 make our state more manufacturing and other supply chain businesses that create jobs. By establishing statewide standards for siting small and medium sized wind farms legislators can provide an economic boost to Wisconsin’s economy.

• 1,000 MW of new wind development in Wisconsin would create over 3,000 new jobs and provide $1.1 billion in economic benefit.1 Currently, over 600 MW of planned wind development is stalled due to the lack of statewide permitting standards.
• Wisconsin ranks fourth among states in terms of potential for job gain, and fifth nationally for potential investment.2
• In 2007-08 Operating Engineers erected 88 turbines for WE Energies’ Blue Sky Green Field Wind Energy Center. More than 400,000 labor hours were devoted to completing the project.

“We support SB 185/AB 256. Without this legislation we fear that good Wisconsin jobs will be lost to Iowa and Minnesota. A lot of our members, who are residents of Wisconsin, have traveled to those states in order to sustain a livable salary so that they can feed their families. Unless we have some uniform standards in the state we will not see the full potential for wind here in Wisconsin. Wind farm construction is good for our members. Wisconsin’s economy needs this generation and Local #139 needs these family supporting jobs here in Wisconsin.” (Joint public hearing May 12, 2009) -Terrance McGowan, Operating Engineers #139

“We think it’s important to encourage the development [of wind power] here in Wisconsin. There are good Wisconsin jobs at stake here. There are good Wisconsin companies that work in the design of these small wind farms, design the components that are used. There are good Wisconsin businesses that work in the maintenance of these wind farms. It is good work for Wisconsin workers.” (Joint public hearing May 12, 2009) -R.J. Pirlot, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce

References
1 U.S. Department of Energy. “Economic Benefits, Carbon Dioxide Emissions Reductions, and Water Conservation
Benefits from 1,000 MW of New Wind Power in Wisconsin” October 2008
2 Renewable Energy Policy Project. “Component Manufacturing: Wisconsin’s Future in the Renewable Energy
Industry.” January 2006.

Wind for Wisconsin Campaign Supporters

2009-06-11T14:15:00.002-05:00

+ Addison Wind Energy, LLC
+ AgWind Energy Partners
+ American Transmission Company
+ American Wind Energy Association
+ Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin, Inc.
+ Boldt Construction
+ Broadwind Energy
+ Citizens Utility Board
+ Clean Wisconsin
+ Construction Business Group
+ Customers First Coalition
+ Dairyland Power Cooperative
+ EcoEnergy, LLC
+ Emerging Energies, LLC
+ Federal Marine Terminals, Inc.
+ Fednav
+ Great Lakes Utilities
+ Horizon Wind Energy
+ Iberdrola Renewables
+ IBEW 2150
+ IBEW 965
+ Invenergy, LLC
+ IUOE Local 310
+ Lake Michigan Wind and Sun
+ League of Women Voters – Wisconsin
+ Madison Gas & Electric
+ Michels Wind Energy
+ Midwest Renewable Energy Association
+ Midwest Wind Energy
+ Municipal Electric Utilities of WI
+ Natural Resources Consulting, Inc.
+ Operating Engineers Local #139
+ Orion Construction Group
+ Orion Energy Systems
+ Port of Milwaukee
+ Renewegy
+ RENEW Wisconsin
+ Ritger Law Office
+ Seventh Generation Energy Systems
+ Sierra Club – John Muir Chapter
+ Union of Concerned Scientists
+ United Steel Workers
+ Uriel Wind, LLC
+ Wausaukee Composites
+ Wisconsin Agribusiness Council
+ Wind Capital Group
+ Wind on the Wires
+ Wisconsin Commercial Ports Association
+ Wisconsin Environment
+ Wisconsin Farmers Union
+ Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation
+ Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group (WIEG)
+ Wisconsin Laborers’ District Council
+ Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association
+ Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters
+ Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce
+ WPPI Energy
+ Wisconsin State Council of Carpenters
+ Wisconsin Utilities Association
+ Xcel/Northern States Power-Wisconsin

Note: while the endorsing entities support statewide permitting standards for wind energy, this should not be construed as a blanket endorsement of future legislative or regulatory changes to permitting wind energy systems in Wisconsin.

Wind Energy = Wisconsin Investment

2009-06-11T14:00:00.000-05:00

SB 185/AB 256 as drafted will signal the growing wind industry that Wisconsin is open for business, making our state more competitive in attracting investment capital. Please support SB 185/AB 256 to help secure Wisconsin’s economic future.

• 1,000 MW of new wind development in Wisconsin would create over 3,000 new jobs and provide $1.1 billion in economic benefit.1
• Wisconsin ranks fourth among states in terms of potential job gain, and fifth nationally for potential investment.2 The 396 MW of wind energy installed in Wisconsin in 2008-09 will contribute nearly $3 million a year to local economies.
• Municipalities and counties hosting wind facilities can receive $2,000 per megawatt of capacity per year under the state utility credit (subject to per capita limits) and an additional $2,000 per megawatt of capacity per year because wind facilities produce renewable energy (not subject to per capita limits).3 A 100 megawatt wind facility would contribute up to $400,000 per year in property tax relief.
• The New North, Inc. is a regional collaboration effort focused on promoting regional cooperation and economic development in an 18-county region in Northeast Wisconsin.

“This [American Wind Energy Association] report illustrates the economic growth opportunities that exist in the wind energy industry for the New North…this emerging industry is developing rapidly and we’re well-positioned as a region to take advantage of it.”4

“We’re excited about the growth potential this industry has, as well as the potential impact it has on job growth and expansion in our region.”5
-Jerry Murphy, Executive Director of New North

References
1 U.S. Department of Energy. “Economic Benefits, Carbon Dioxide Emissions Reductions, and Water Conservation Benefits from 1,000 MW of New Wind Power in Wisconsin” October 2008
2 Renewable Energy Policy Project. “Component Manufacturing: Wisconsin’s Future in the Renewable Energy Industry.” January 2006.
3 WISCONSIN LEGISLATIVE FISCAL BUREAU, SHARED REVENUE PROGRAM (COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL AID AND UTILITY AID) (2007), available at http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lfb/Informationalpapers/18.pdf.
4 http://www.thenewnorth.com/resources/995.pdf
5 http://www.thenewnorth.com/resources/993.pdf

Increasing wind power would improve economy

2009-06-11T13:06:00.001-05:00

From a letter to the editor of The Capital Times on June 11 by Scott Ribin:

Dear Editor: I'm writing in regard to recent letters about wind energy in Wisconsin. In my opinion, one of the best reasons to use more wind energy is that it will strengthen our economy.

First, using wind power will allow us to stop importing fossil fuels from out-of-state sources, which will lead to the creation of thousands of in-state middle-class manufacturing jobs, an area hit hard by the recent recession.

Second, constructing wind farms is also more cost-effective than building new coal or nuclear power plants because they have a greater direct impact on the local economy.

Third, northeastern Wisconsin is one of the best areas in the country to construct and place turbines because of its wind strength and speeds. This area already has a well-developed manufacturing base that is eager to thrive under a renewable revolution.

Wind power also will lower health care spending. Fossil fuel use is directly related to rising asthma and lung cancer prevalence rates. This especially occurs in lower-income families without insurance, further increasing health care costs.

Fact sheets

2009-06-11T11:45:00.001-05:00

2009
06.16.09 Wind Siting and Local Control
06.15.09 Wind Energy is a Safe, Proven Technology
06.10.09 Wind Energy is Popular
06.09.09 PSC Sensible Agency for Wind Rule-making
06.04.09 Wind Siting Reform Supports State Policy
06.09 Wind Energy = Jobs
06.09 Wind Energy = Wisconsin Investment

Editorials

2009-06-11T09:46:00.010-05:00

2009
06.12.09 Unnecessary obstacles - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
05.16.09 A wind for wind power in Wisconsin - Wisconsin State Journal
04.19.09 Have uniform rules for siting wind turbines - Sheboygan Press
04.19.09 State should loosen read tape that restricts wind power - Eau Claire Leader
04.03.09 Enact statewide standards for wind turbines - The Tomah Journal
03.08.09 Don't blow chance for wind power - Wisconsin State Journal
01.28.09 Not-in-my-backyard attitude a continuing problem - The Country Today

2008
02.26.08 Blowin' in the wind - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wind Energy is Popular

2009-06-10T16:15:00.003-05:00

Wind energy is surging in popularity because it spurs economic development and benefits the environment. An organized, vocal minority opposes wind energy development. However, the real world experience of successful wind energy development reaffirms the near universal support for wind energy. In fact, wind energy remains popular in areas of Wisconsin faced with siting challenges.

• A poll of voters in the Evansville Water and Light service area showed that 76% support wind power for the area, with less than 6% in opposition. Similar results were found in the Town of Union, with 72% supporting a wind project in the Town, and just 8% against.1
• A poll of voters in Calumet County overwhelmingly favored building new wind farms in the County. A full 70% of voters supported building new wind farms, including a plurality (45%) of voters living near the proposed projects.2
• In 2008, the U.S. wind industry installed 8,358 MW of new generating capacity, enough to serve over 2 million homes. The nation’s wind power generating capacity grew by 50%, and represents an investment of $17 billion into the economy.3
• The U.S. market for small wind turbines – those with capacities of 100 kilowatts (kW) and less – grew 78% in 2008. U.S. manufacturers sold about half of all small wind turbines installed worldwide last year. U.S. market share amounted to $77 million of the $156 million global total.4
• There are over 120 Gigawatts5 of wind turbines installed worldwide, and since 2005, global wind generation capacity has more than doubled. Currently, 76 countries are using commercial wind energy.6
• The U.S. military uses wind turbines to reduce fuel costs and the need for fuel shipments in dangerous areas.7

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1 “Evansville Area Public Opinion Survey on Wind Power.” April 29, 2008
2 “Wind Farms in Calumet County.” October 18, 2007
3 http://www.awea.org/newsroom/releases/wind_energy_growth2008_27Jan09.html
4 http://awea.org/newsroom/releases/AWEA_Reports_Small_Wind_Market_Growth_052809.html
5 1 Gigawatt = 1 billion watts.
6 http://www.wwindea.org/home/images/stories/worldwindenergyreport2008_s.pdf
7 http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0907/p01s04-usmi.html

State should regulate wind farm siting

2009-06-09T14:21:00.000-05:00

A letter to the editor by James E. Becher, Norwalk, in the La Crosse Tribune on June 2, 2009:

The situation here at Ridgeville, town of Wilton, Monroe County Wis., is a prime example why the state needs to overrule these unrealistic ordinances with normal setbacks (500 feet property line dwelling to 1,000 feet, no greater) allowing a wind farm here in Monroe County.

(Aren’t we fortunate the NIMBYs weren’t here when the power lines came through? With greater setbacks, we may not have electricity.)

Recent polls in a local newspaper resulted in about 85 percent in Monroe County favoring wind power. That makes only 15 percent against it.

In 2005, about 45 landowners signed easements with Invenergy LLC, a reputable wind company, looking forward to construction in 2006. A committee drew up an ordinance approved by the state, county, towns, landowners and wind company — no problems.

Then the anti-wind group (NIMBYs) formed, holding many “mis-informational” meetings, hiring six lawyers, plus many speakers with negative, fictional stories — sending DVDs, pictures, propaganda, etc. to every household in Monroe County and beyond, pestering people until their resistance wore them down, persuading them to join the group.

Some were elected to our town boards to veto the approved ordinance, halting construction, then drawing up their own restrictive ordinance, preventing all wind farms from ever coming in here, ruining our wind farm business, income and taking away our landowner rights.

Prime examples why proper-normal setbacks are so important: calculating normal setbacks means 1 turbine per 40-acre plot; calculating greater setback requires four 40-acre plots, leaving very few landowners eligible.

We commend Sen. Jeff Plale and Rep. Jim Soletski and the other legislators co-sponsoring the two bills to bring statewide wind siting to Wisconsin, helping the energy crisis.

PSC Sensible Agency for Wind Rule-Making

2009-06-09T13:53:00.000-05:00

SB 185/AB 256 direct the Public Service Commission (PSC) to initiate an administrative rule-making process to establish statewide siting standards for wind energy projects. The bill draft requires the PSC to establish an advisory committee of diverse interests to advise the Commission on the rules. The legislature will have the opportunity to review the proposed rules prior to their publication.

+ The PSC is an independent regulatory agency dedicated to serving the public interest. The agency is responsible for the regulation of more than 1,100 Wisconsin public utilities, including those that are municipally-owned.
+ The PSC works to ensure that, in the absence of competition, adequate and reasonably priced service is provided to utility customers. The PSC has oversight on every form of electric generation in the state.
+ Alternatives to bypass the PSC are designed to introduce more delay and confusion into the siting process. Additional layers of bureaucracy only serve to reinforce the siting stalemate.
+ Under the bill the PSC would establish a unique, comprehensive review of siting issues. Any attempt to predict the rule-making is speculative at best.
+ The PSC is the agency with the expertise to provide the appropriate scientific, fact based review of issues related to siting wind energy projects. The bill does not specify any siting requirements but establishes a process to review the relevant health and safety issues.

“I pledge to you a rule-making process which will be open and inclusive...The Commission will continue to be a fair partner with local government to ensure that the siting process is equitable to all, and that decisions are made in a timely and transparent way...The PSC’s rulemaking process is as open and inclusive a process as any.”(Joint public hearing May 12, 2009)
-Eric Callisto, PSC Chairman

Wind Siting Reform Supports State Policy

2009-06-08T16:00:00.001-05:00

SB 185/AB 256 will improve the regulatory climate in Wisconsin and advance current state energy policy. The erratic permitting environment for wind projects means that state policy is being blocked at the local level.

+ Current law requires that 10 percent of utilities’ electrical sales be generated from renewable resources by 2015.
+ Wind will be the workhorse for Wisconsin utilities. Between 75% and 95% of the energy needed to meet the 10% statewide target will be generated with wind.
+ The single biggest constraint to increasing wind generation in Wisconsin is the permitting environment, which is far more problematic here than in neighboring states.
+ Regulatory uncertainty increases project costs, harming Wisconsin ratepayers. The absence of statewide siting standards forces wind energy out of state forfeiting Wisconsin jobs and investment while adding transmission costs.

“We support SB 185/AB 256…Industrial customers are very concerned about electric rates and their impact on jobs in state. We want to do everything we can to hold down rates here in Wisconsin to keep our jobs here and stay competitive…This bill is one way of mitigating these costs. Wind is the only resource that will meet the current 10% renewable mandate. (Joint public hearing May 12, 2009)
-Todd Stuart, Executive Director of WIEG

“Wisconsin is counting on wind power to propel the state 90 percent of the way toward meeting a goal of more than doubling the renewable energy contribution to electric needs over the next six years.”
-Wisconsin State Journal (“A win for wind power in Wisconsin”)

“Wind power is not a passing fad. It has to be a part of the solution to weaning the U.S. from fossil fuels…Wisconsin has chosen to be a leader, not a follower in the use of renewable sources of energy.”
-Sheboygan Press (“Have uniform rules for siting wind turbines”)

News stories

2009-06-08T15:40:00.003-05:00

Other

2009-06-08T15:40:00.001-05:00

PSC testimony and filings

2009-06-08T15:39:00.005-05:00

Legislative testimony

2009-06-08T15:39:00.003-05:00

2009
05.12.09 RENEW Wisconsin's testimony on SB185/AB256

Letters to the editor

2009-06-05T14:25:00.000-05:00

2009
06.11.09 Increasing wind power would improve economy - The Capital Times
06.02.09 State should regulate wind farm siting - La Crosse Tribune

A win for wind power in Wisconsin

2009-05-06T13:50:00.001-05:00

Wisconsin State Journal, May 16, 2009
An eight-hour public hearing last week at the Capitol highlighted a threat to the statewide interest in developing wind power.

The hearing also demonstrated why lawmakers should quell that threat by replacing a hodgepodge of local rules for smaller wind farms with uniform state standards.

At stake is not only a clean, renewable source of energy, but also the state's economic vitality.

Wisconsin is counting on wind power to propel the state 90 percent of the way toward meeting a goal of more than doubling the renewable energy contribution to electric needs over the next six years. Developing wind power, and other forms of renewable energy, can help resolve global warming worries, improve energy security and generate jobs.

But a barrier looms: When developers of smaller wind farms apply to local governments to build turbines on specific sites, they too often find that local officials are cowed into imposing impossible-to-meet requirements, or even moratoriums, after opponents raise alarming concerns, commonly based in misinformation.

As a result, a few people gain veto power over the state's energy policy.

Granted, not every location is suitable for wind farms. Local concerns about public safety and health should be respected, when based on sound science. But local officials confronted by alarmed constituents are not in a good position to evaluate competing arguments.

Meanwhile, larger wind farms face no such array of local Mixmasters. They go to one agency -- the state Public Service Commission. Wind farm plans face a rigorous PSC review process. But at least developers know what they are dealing with from the outset. It's a far better system, both for encouraging wind farm development and protecting public safety and health.

Wisconsin's hostile regulatory environment for smaller wind farms is taking a toll. The state lags far behind neighboring Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois in wind power. Part of the reason is that Wisconsin has less potential for wind power than those states. But testimony at last week's hearing indicated that regulatory hostility is also a factor, driving some wind farms away from Wisconsin to its neighbors.

That conclusion is supported by the fact that Michigan, with a relatively small potential for wind power, has a far higher wind farm growth rate than Wisconsin.

The solution lies in the proposed legislation that was the subject of last week's hearing. The plan calls for lawmakers to grant the PSC authority to establish, with public input, a model set of wind farm standards to guide local governments.

Local governments would be forbidden from exceeding the standards.

Any party would have a right to appeal a local decision to the PSC and then to court.

Wisconsin can protect the health and safety of residents and encourage wind farm development. The proposed wind farm siting reform is the answer.

State should loosen red tape that restricts wind power

2009-04-19T14:28:00.000-05:00

Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, April 19, 2009

Windmills were once a frequent sight in the Wisconsin countryside, pumping water on countless family farms before the use of electricity became widespread.

Now, windmills could again become common as the state tries to meet its goal of generating 10 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2015. In the coming weeks, the state Legislature will have a chance to make it easier for clean-energy creating wind turbines to proliferate in Wisconsin.

These windmills are larger and more powerful than their ancestors. For example, turbines at a wind farm in Fond du Lac County reach nearly 400 feet in the air (counting their blades) and can generate up to 1.65 megawatts of power. (One megawatt is enough for 800 to 1,000 homes.)

Last year's spike in the price of dwindling fossil fuels should be enough reason for our society to begin shifting to cleaner, more renewable sources. Add to that the growing evidence of global climate change caused by excessive amounts of carbon dioxide released by the burning of those fossil fuels, and the need for renewable energy becomes even more critical.

Today, Wisconsin gets just 3 percent of its energy from renewable sources (mostly wind), far below the 10 percent target looming in six years. Ryan Schryver, a clean energy advocate for Clean Wisconsin, a statewide environmental group, says an additional 600 megawatts of wind power are ensnared in red tape. The state isn't to blame, however; instead, some local governments have adopted ordinances that restrict the development of wind power. Among them is the Trempealeau County Board, which voted in 2007 that wind turbines taller than 150 feet must be one mile or more from residences, schools, hospitals or businesses. The ordinance essentially prohibits wind power in the county.

Clean Wisconsin is part of a coalition of dozens of groups - including environmentalists, labor unions, utilities such as Xcel Energy, and business representatives such as Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce - that supports a soon-to-be-introduced bill that would require the state Public Service Commission to create statewide standards for wind projects. Under current law, local governments can block these projects for health or safety reasons - but those reasons aren't well-defined, which has led to blanket restrictions such as the one in Trempealeau County.

Critics likely will charge that the bill is an attack on local control. However, it still lets local governments make wind-siting decisions, and allows those who disagree with them to appeal to the PSC and the courts.

It's understandable that potential neighbors of any large project - including a wind farm - would be concerned about how it might impact their lives. However, the hum of a windmill or the flickering shadows it may create seem greatly preferable to the sulphurous fumes of a coal-fired plant or the potential deadly contamination of a nuclear reactor. Unless we redouble our efforts to pursue clean energy, those may be our only other options to keep the lights on.

- Tom Giffey, editorial page editor

Have uniform rules for siting wind turbines

2009-04-17T14:32:00.000-05:00

Sheboygan Press, April 17, 2009
Wisconsin should move ahead with uniform rules and regulations for siting power-generating wind turbines that could be applied statewide.

State Sen. Jeff Plale of South Milwaukee is circulating a bill to that effect in hopes of getting bipartisan support before it is introduced in the Legislature. A similar plan was proposed late in the last legislative session and was wisely shelved because there wasn't enough time to fully explore the idea and hold public hearings.

Since this measure will take away some local control that planning and zoning rules would cover, input from local government officials, as well as the public, is critical to coming up with a workable plan.

Current state law gives the Public Service Commission the responsibility for review and approval of large wind power proposals, but smaller projects are left for local governments to decide.

Wind power is not a passing fad. It has to be a part of the solution to weaning the U.S. from fossil fuels. Until the recession hit, wind power generation was among the fastest growing industries in the nation. And, Wisconsin has chosen to be a leader, not a follower in the use of renewable sources of energy. By 2015, the goal is to have 20 percent of the electricity produced in the state come from sources other than coal- or gas-fired power plants.

It would still be best for wind turbine siting decisions to remain solely with local governments.

Neighboring Fond du Lac County is an example where it can work. Leaders in several towns have done a good job of balancing the concerns of neighboring residents with the need for renewable sources of energy in developing regulations on setbacks and noise.

But it is quite apparent that the desire to come up with reasonable rules is not universal. Some towns have written siting rules in such a way to ban wind turbine projects entirely.

There is time to conduct hearings and gather information, and a uniform set of rules on wind turbines will help Wisconsin reach a cleaner energy future sooner, rather than later.

Enact statewide standards for wind turbines

2009-04-03T14:39:00.001-05:00

The Tomah Journal, April 3, 2009
One of these days, the world will no longer have access to fossil fuels. Oil and coal are finite resources, and while they might last well into the 22nd, 23rd or 24th centuries, they will be depleted at some time in our history. And long before they run out, they will become more difficult and expensive to extract. Remember the oil that John McCain wants to get from the Atlantic Coast? Drilling there can’t be sustained until oil hits $60 per barrel and stays there, which translates into at least $2.50 for a gallon of gas.

Renewable energy must replace fossil fuels sometime, and the process may as well start now. Part of the solution is wind energy. Unfortunately, it has proven to be a contentious issue in Wisconsin. It’s almost impossible for a private-property owner to put a wind turbine on his or her property without the threat of a lawsuit. Wind projects in the Monroe County townships of Ridgeville and Wilton have been halted by ordinances that, in effect, outlaw wind-generated power.

Wind power won’t reach its full potential until the state establishes uniform standards for siting wind turbines. Obviously, health and safety concerns must be considered in any legislation. Opponents have legitimate concerns over noise, flicker and ice buildup. However, it’s an unavoidable reality that that energy generation must occur somewhere. Would wind-turbine opponents like an oil refinery in the township? How about a coal-fired power plant? A nuclear power plant? Even solar power creates controversy. A solar developer in California is stymied because he can’t get powerlines built across the desert.

While wind can’t come close to filling our energy needs, it certainly has a role to play in a diversified, renewable energy network. Somehow, we must resolve the tension between a public that wants all the conveniences of modern life but doesn’t want to live anywhere near a facility that makes those conveniences possible. An honest debate over statewide standards for wind turbines would be a good start.

Enact statewide standards for wind turbines

2009-04-03T14:39:00.000-05:00

Don't blow chance for wind power

2009-03-18T15:01:00.000-05:00

Wisconsin State Journal, March 18, 2009
Wisconsin Power & Light's plans to look more toward the wind as a power source should underscore for lawmakers the need to support wind farm development.

Wisconsin cannot afford to let the statewide interest in harnessing clean, renewable power from the wind be frustrated by local "not in my backyard" campaigns against wind farms.

The goal should be to adopt statewide standards for siting wind farms that limit local government regulation and provide developers with an opportunity to appeal. The standards should also preserve local authority to restrict or reject wind farms when warranted.

Interest in wind power is growing following state regulators' rejection last year of a new coal-fired power plant proposed by WPL, As an alternative to coal, the utility planning to develop more wind, biomass and natural gas power sources.

Other power companies are following a similar strategy.

Wind is the key element, projected to meet 90 percent of Wisconsin's goal to more than double the renewable energy contribution to electric needs over the next six years.

But wind power confronts a barrier.

Developers of small wind farms, unlike developers of large wind farms, fall outside the regulation of the state Public Service Commission. They left to local regulation.

Too often, local governments are cowed by "not in my backyard" worries about the impact of wind turbines -- worries that may be based on misinformation but that local governments lack the expertise to evaluate.

The result is impossible-to-meet restrictions that draw small wind farm development to halt.

For example, in 2007 Trempealeau County adopted a wind power ordinance so restrictive that it effectively banned wind farms.

A solution emerged with a proposal to require the PSC to issue model rules specifying what restrictions local governments could impose on wind farms. The bill also granted developers a right to appeal.

Lawmakers failed to pass the proposal last year. This year should make that legislation a top priority.

Not-in-my-backyard attitude a continuing problem

2009-01-28T14:50:00.000-06:00

The Country Today, January 28, 2009
We hear it all the time in rural Wisconsin communities: "We don't want that wind farm, large dairy operation or anaerobic digester in our neighborhood."

The not-in-my-backyard mentality hasn't gone away and it isn't likely to anytime soon.

The NIMBY attitude really isn't so hard to understand. If someone lived in a peaceful rural neighborhood and that person had a choice, he or she probably would opt not to have that tranquility disrupted by a large business being built next door, whether it be an ethanol plant, a hog confinement operation or a widget factory.

It would be quite unusual to hear, "Please don't build that in my backyard, build it in my front yard!"

Within the past week, stories have crossed our desks about a large dairy project near Rosendale, a Manitowoc County wind farm and a community animal-manure digester project in Dane County.

In all three cases, millions of dollars would be invested - during the toughest economic times in about 60 years - to help stimulate the economy. Each of the projects would provide good rural jobs.

The $70 million Rosendale project - a 4,000-cow dairy that could eventually become an 8,000-cow facility - would create 70 permanent jobs and buy $32 million per year from local contractors and vendors.

About 500 people showed up at a hearing last week to consider whether to issue the farm its permits. Farmers from other parts of the state spoke in favor of the project, while some local residents opposed the idea of a large farm being built in their community.

The Manitowoc County Board of Adjustment last week rejected a developer's proposal to build a seven-turbine wind project west of Two Rivers. The decision was the latest setback in the project developer's four-year quest to erect a community-scale wind project in the town of Mishicot.

Renew Wisconsin Executive Director Michael Vickerman said the board's rejection of the wind farm "is certain to send a chill through every Wisconsin developer seeking to construct a community-scale wind farm here."

In Dane County, the latest talk is about a community-scale manure digester that would collect manure from several farms and turn it into electricity. Farmers heard the latest details about the project at a meeting in DeForest last week.

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk is hoping federal officials will allocate funds for the "shovel-ready" project that she said could be replicated in agricultural communities across the country.

Madison-area hog producer Bob Uphoff said he was concerned that if the idea catches on and several of the digesters are proposed in Dane County, the projects would be met with a "not in my backyard" attitude by many residents.

So herein lies the dilemma. The economy desperately needs stimulation, and agricultural and rural projects stand ready to meet the challenge. But many of the projects face opposition.

This problem could become even more widespread in the months ahead if, as expected, President Obama and Congress designate money to accelerate renewable-energy projects. The projects that could provide immediate economic stimulation could become bogged down by a plethora of opposition and regulations.

There is no easy solution to this dilemma. It's certainly not a new problem.

But some people might have to reconsider their opposition to reasonable projects that help the country climb out of its economic doldrums. The old economic structure in this country is broken and must be replaced by a new paradigm. That new paradigm will likely include new ways to generate energy and economic wealth that we might not be used to or familiar with. But they're not necessarily bad just because they're different.

We can't always have our cake and eat it too, as the old saying goes. We can't ask for projects that stimulate the economy but then always expect them to be built somewhere else.

If we want to put people back to work and get this country's economy back in gear, some people might have to change their mind-sets.

Blowin' in the wind

2008-02-08T14:57:00.000-06:00

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, February 26, 2008
"The way things stand now, it's easier to build a 100-megawatt wind farm in this state than it is to put up two or three turbines." So says Roy Thilly, chairman of the state's Task Force on Global Warming and president of Wisconsin Public Power Inc., a consortium of municipally owned utilities, on local ordinances that tend to restrict the development of small wind farms in Wisconsin and hurt the state's ability to meet its goal of generating 10% of its power from renewable energy by 2015 (www.jsonline.com/721206).

That's not the way it should be.

An ordinance enacted in Trempealeau County in December, for example, bars wind turbines from being built within a mile of a habitable building. That's effectively a countywide ban, according to Michael Vickerman, executive director of the environmental group Renew Wisconsin.

Right now, state law requires state regulators to approve large wind farms but leaves the decision-making on smaller projects to local units of government. While local governments should have a say in siting wind farms - or anything else - in their jurisdiction, giving them the ability to outright ban small projects goes too far. And standards for wind farms should not vary widely from community to community.

The Global Warming Task Force has recommended changing state law by setting similar standards for wind turbines across Wisconsin, and a bill to that effect is expected to be introduced by state Sen. Jeff Plale (D-South Milwaukee). Legislators should get behind a reasonable bill that would enhance Wisconsin's ability to provide more renewable sources of energy.

A final version of the measure should include at least uniform standards for wind turbines and a provision that would give wind power developers or those opposed to a particular development the option of appealing a local government's decision to the state Public Service Commission.

Wisconsin needs all the tools it can get to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. Wind farms - large and small - are among those tools. The state and local governments should be doing all they can to encourage more of them where they are appropriate.