Governor’s planned wind farm rule gets public hearing
Wisconsin NewsA public hearing was held Wednesday on Governor Scott Walker’s latest effort to limit the locating of new wind energy farms in Wisconsin.
A public hearing was held Wednesday on Governor Scott Walker’s latest effort to limit the locating of new wind energy farms in Wisconsin.
The Legislature’s rules committee took testimony on a plan to change a rule recently passed by the Public Service Commission. It said wind turbines must be at least 1,250 feet away from neighboring homes. But Walker wants to expand the setback to 1,850 feet.
The Wisconsin Realtors Association pushed for the change. Walker said it would help rural residents who complain that the turbines cause too much noise and flickering lights.
He tried to get a bill passed for the new setback, but the Republican majority in the Legislature decided not to consider it, after being told it would hurt the wind energy industry in Wisconsin.
Walker’s people then changed course, seeking a change in the current administrative rule.
The wind energy industry says the proposed setback would be the most restrictive in the nation, and it goes against Walker’s claim that Wisconsin is “open for business.”
The group Renew Wisconsin says it could put up to $1.8 billion dollars of future wind projects in jeopardy.
More from around the web
RSS Feeds