4/16/08 WIND DEVELOPER DECLARES "WAR TO END ALL WARS" ON CALUMET COUNTY! What did Calumet County Do? Changed the set back from 1000 feet to 1800 feet. BEWARE THE WRATH OF THE WIND DEVELOPER!
The BPRC RESEARCH NERD's head is still spinning from reading this document found at wind action.org (click here for our source) It's yet another example of wind developers telling us "WE HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO TAKE WHAT YOU HAVE!" If you are as disturbed by this as we are, please contact your legislators right away and let them know!
MEMORANDUM
From: Tom Swierczewski, AICP, Project Coordinator
Date: March 20, 2008
RE: Calumet County Zoning Changes
As a result of the County's actions to adopt severe amendments to its wind energy facilities ordinances that preclude wind turbines from being approved at the local level, we intend to file an application with the Public Service Commission in Wisconsin for approval of the Stony Brook Wind Farm. The process will take a minimum of 18 months to complete and cost more than $2 million. In addition, following the PSC's approval we fully expect the objectors will litigate the decision all the way to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which could add another two years and $2 million to the process. Nonetheless, Midwest Wind Energy is fully committed to this effort as we now see this as "the war to end all wars" regarding wind power in Wisconsin.
As a result, it is in our best interest to combine all of the turbine locations we have secured in the Towns of Brothertown and Stockbridge in this application. In addition, if other landowners would like to participate in the project, we have an opportunity through the end of May to sign up more turbine locations. If you know of anyone who would like to join the project please let me know.
The County's actions are a setback to windfarm development in this area but we have every confidence that Stony Brook will eventually get built. We appreciate your willingness to hang in there and be patient. If you have questions or would [like information] to pass along to other interested landowners, please feel free to contact me at 847-909-8579.
The BPRC Research Nerd
4/15/08 The BROWNSVILLE DIARIES: A South Byron Family's Day To Day Life With Turbine Noise
Today we feature the first entries of a noise log kept by a Brownsville family who live 3/4 miles east of South Byron in Fond Du Lac County, Wisconsin. The new wind turbines have just gone on line there. They aren't the only family we've heard are having turbine troubles. We've heard from several. Children seem to be especially affected by noise and headaches. If you are having problems with turbines it's important you start a day to day diary right away so you will have a record of what is happening to you. And please let us know how you are doing!
The Diary Begins:
Our family lives on County Road Y in Brownsville, Wisconsin, which is about ¾ of mile east of South Byron.
Turbine # 4 is 1560 feet behind my house.
Turbine # 3a is about 500 feet mostly east and a little north of turbine #4.
Turbine #6 is about ¾ of mile to the northwest of our home.
Across the road, mostly south and slightly west is turbine #73 at a distance of 2480 feet.
Down the hill to the west is turbine #74a which is about ¾ of a mile away.
We can hear all five of these turbines at various times.
The following is a log of our experiences with wind turbine noise
March 3, 2008
Turbine #4 turning slow for the first time. 10:00 pm I went out to check the fire and I looked up in the sky to try and see the jet flying over. It was not a jet, but the turbine.
March 6, 2008
Same sound as Wednesday the 3rd of March
March 7, 2008
Turbine sound. Our 13 year old son, complained of a headache. He had not been told headaches being one of the side effects of turbine noise. My wife and I were concerned about how the turbine noise would affect him. He has become our son via social services with many problems. His ears are like that of Radar on MASH. He hears sounds before we do, such as fire department sirens.
March 8, 2008
Saturday AM. Loudest so far. Like jet in sky with whoosh to it. I have not written every day. That does not mean the turbine sound is not there. I feel we may never have peace and quiet ever again. We can only hope there are days with no breeze.
March 10, 2008
5pm. Sounds like a high flying jet. 10pm Low flying jet. At 10pm loudest I have heard it. My son still has headache.
March 18, 2008
#4 not turning but could hear whose of #6. We could hear the turbines daily so if there is no record that does not mean there was no sound.
March 25, 2008
Could hear whoosh of #3a. #4 not turning at 4:45 PM. At 5:30PM #6 turning with jet sound of whoosh of turning blades.
Our son is a foster child we adopted. He has lots of issues which are mostly behavior but also include mental problems. If we just stopped by to talk and you interacted with him you would not know, but tick him off and you would see it. He is like Radar on MASH in that he usually hears sirens before we do. My wife was concerned about his health when talk began about turbines and then we received information about health issues. Our son does not know about the health issues from us or from anyone talking about them.
Soon after #4 began turning he had a bad headache. It lasted about four days or he mentioned them for four days. At school there is a complicated way to help him try and behave and do his schoolwork. He does not focus and is angered easily. So there is a level system with level 4 being the best and in level 1 he is in solitary confinement and cannot go to his regular classes. Level 3 he is in the special ed. Room with other students. Level 2 he is in the special ed room but kept from other students. For about two weeks he did well and stayed at level 4. After the turbine began turning and the headaches he has now gone to level 1. I should also say he can only go up or down one level in a day. Since Wednesday he has told teachers and the principal and us that his head is spinning and in some cases he tells us that his head is spinning 100 miles an hour. I would guess it has a connection to his behavior at school. Sometimes we can hear the turbine while in our house.
March 26, 2008
#4, #3a & #6 running. Can distinguish between #3a and #4 jet sound whoosh.
March 27, 2008
Fairly quiet
March 28, 2008
Not much wind. Slow turn. Not much noise.
March 29, 2008
Wind from SE. Jet sound with only slight Wind.
March 30, 2008
Turbines around us not running much.
March 31, 2008
6AM Jet sound. 10PM fog, drizzle. Woosh sound.
April 1, 2008
Wind NW 14 mph. 6:15AM #4 not running. I hear #6 with jet sound.
2:30 PM tower #6 still very loud.
April 2, 2008
6AM. Wind from the SW. #4 jet sound. Now hearing #73 and #74a as the have come on line. In the afternoon #74 is louder than #73.
April 3, 2008
6AM Some sound from #4
April 4, 2008
6AM #4 turning slow, no wind. 11PM #4 and 73 loud and sound like jet going over
April 5, 2008
Our son could not sleep and was up at 1:30 AM. I sent him back to bed and went to our family room in the north end of the house. I could hear turbine #6 from inside the house. Remember that turbine is ¾ of a mile from our house. I turned on the TV (low sound) and could still hear the turbine.
7:30 AM Definitely that jet sound from #4.
Can also hear #’s 3a, 6 and 73. I had a brief unusual feeling in my head somewhat like when one gets off a roller coaster. This was around 11:00AM. This is the loudest the sound has been since March 5th. At 11pm still that jet sound.
April 6, 2008
6-6:15 AM. Wind from the South. Turbine #’s 4, 6, 73, 74a all turning. Jet sound as soon as I went out the house door. 9AM #’s 6 &73 loudest. 10PM #4 quite loud. Saturday has been the worst day so far.
April 7, 2008
5:30 AM Can hear the turbines easy.
10:00 PM Quietest in 3 days
April 8, 2008
Drizzle and not many turbines turning at 10PM. #4 some sound
April 9, 2008
My wife told me she had a headache Friday through Monday with turbines turning. She had no headache Tuesday. Turbine was not turning. This morning she told me she has a headache and asked me if the turbine is turning. Yes it is.
April 10, 2008
Fairly quiet today.
April 11, 2008
6AM Could hear the woosh but turbines were hidden in fog. 3:00 PM Loud, jet sound with strong south wind.
April 12, 2008
7:00 AM #4 Jet sound with whoosh sound. At breakfast I asked my son if he could hear the turbines in the house. “Yes, and I hear them in my room,” he said, “Some nights I can’t sleep” His room is upstairs in the SW corner of the house. As I sit below his room (inside the house) I can hear the turbine.
GOT TURBINE TROUBLES or CONCERNS?
Call 1-888-732-7234! The Coalition for Wisconsin Environmental Stewardship (CWESt) is a grass roots organization of made up of people concerned about the responsible placement of wind turbines. CWESt's primary goal is to provide a central source for both gathering and giving out reliable information about industrial wind plant siting, issues relating to the industrial wind turbines and the effects on residents. CWESt will take your concerns and information to our legislators in Madison. The number is good 24/7! The BPRC applauds CWESt for providing us with this very helpful resource.
4/13/08 Are Industrial Wind Farms Making People Sick? A Reporter from Kanas City Weighs In.
Are wind farm turbines making people sick?
Some say yes
By KAREN DILLON
The Kansas City Star
Saturday April 12, 2008
(Click here to read the story at its source)
Two brothers-in-law, a country road in northwest Missouri, a fistfight ...
Surely it's happened before, but probably never over wind energy.
Last year, 400-foot-tall wind turbines were erected near King City, some less than 2,000 feet from Charlie Porter's house on his small acreage.
Soon the sounds from the blades swooshing through the air and other noise were driving Porter and his family crazy, he said.
"The sound gets in your head like a saw and you can't get rid of it," Porter said. "Some people compare it to a train that never arrived."
Porter's complaints upset his brother-in-law, a Gentry County commissioner who helped bring the wind farm and new economy to the area, as well as others. In February, it spilled over into a fistfight between them, then a lawsuit.
At the heart of the dispute: Just how healthy is the noise from wind turbines?
Many place great hope in wind farms to produce cleaner energy that will replace some of the need for coal-fired power plants.
The 27 turbines in the Bluegrass Ridge wind farm were dedicated in September near King City.
But complaints about illnesses caused by the sounds that emanate from turbines are just beginning to be studied.
One researcher calls it "wind turbine syndrome," a collection of symptoms that include headaches, anxiety attacks and high blood pressure. Doctors in some other countries have done research on people who live near turbines and say the sounds they emit make them sick.
Several researchers suggest that turbines should be set back from homes, schools and hospitals by more than a mile.
Kenneth Smith, a Kansas City area audiologist, says such low-frequency sounds can cause health disorders - but cautions that much more study needs to be done on turbines.
"This has to make you nervous as a scientist," said Smith, a founder of Hearing Associates and a fellow with the American Academy of Audiology. "It's risky to draw conclusions."
The wind industry says the evidence so far is only anecdotal.
One thing is certain. For a lot of King City residents and nearby farmers, the Bluegrass Ridge wind farm meant dollars for the schools and the town. The turbines have even brought tourists just to gawk at them.
Porter said he is not opposed to wind turbines, but he began complaining to the county and others when he saw how close some of them would be to his property, where he raises registered quarter horses. His wife works as a nurse in St. Joseph. Around his home are rolling hills and a couple of ponds - and now the looming turbines.
Once the blades started turning, he had another set of complaints. Porter said his family, including his 11-year-old daughter, has suffered from headaches and sleeplessness.
"It's like somebody swinging a rope over your head," he said. "Some days, it's worse than other days. The only way you can get away from it is to drive into town."
In addition, powerful strobe lights come on at dawn and dusk, lighting up the inside of his home.
Porter said he has had the property up for sale for a year, but can't find a buyer.
According to a lawsuit filed in federal court by Porter, it was during the Christmas holidays that family emotions over the towers began splitting at the seams.
After receiving a threat from Commissioner Gary Carlson, Porter said, he drove out to meet Carlson and on the way called the sheriff to report a fight was about to happen.
About a half mile from his home, Porter met Carlson, Carlson's wife and a brother. Porter said he was thrown to the ground, hit and kicked.
Since then, the Gentry County Commission has hired an attorney.
Carlson said that the attorney had advised him not to talk about the fight or the lawsuit, but that there was more to the story.
"If you are focused that the wind turbines are going to be a problem in your life, then they are going to be a problem in your life," he said.
The fight has left residents buzzing. Some say greed is motivating Porter to complain.
"It's been said if he'd gotten the tower (on his property), he wouldn't be throwing such a fit," said David Waltemath, a banker in town. "Everybody else has been very positive."
His family owns three farms that nearly adjoin Porter's 20 acres, and 12 of the 27 towers are on those farms, Waltemath said.
The farmers are paid at least $3,000 per turbine annually.
The turbines can be noisy, Waltemath acknowledged.
"But when you are indoors, you don't really hear them," he said.
Tom Carnahan, president of Wind Capital Group and the developer, said one turbine was moved farther from Porter's house at his request at a cost of $50,000. But as the construction continued, Porter brought up additional concerns.
"The claims he makes are largely things raised on the East Coast and what you see on the fanatically anti-wind Web sites," said Carnahan, son of the late Mel Carnahan, who was once Missouri's governor.
"He doesn't reflect the large, large majority in the community, and I'm sorry he is not seeing the benefits that they are."
Porter acknowledged that he could be irritating.
"I'm not afraid to speak my mind," Porter said. "I'm kind of a ‘tell it like it is and let the chips fall where they may' kind of guy."
One official said Porter has a right to protect his property.
Rep. Jim Guest, a King City Republican, said he has talked with people on both sides of the issue, including Porter.
"He is sort of caught in a windmill farm," Guest said. "I'm not so sure he is the only one who objects, but he is the most vocal."
‘Vibro-acoustic' disease
The towers are nearly 260 feet tall, and each of the three blades is 140 feet. Some of the turbines are less than a third of a mile from Porter's home, and when they turn, they emit a low, humming vibration.
Nina Pierpont, a New York pediatrician who has taught at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, has found a consistent cluster of symptoms associated with people living under wind turbines, including sleep problems, headaches that increase in severity, dizziness, nausea, exhaustion, anger and irritability.
She calls it "wind turbine syndrome" and says it appears to be an emerging problem.
"A setback of 1.5 miles from homes, schools, hospitals and similar institutes will probably be adequate ... to protect people from the adverse health effects of industrial wind turbines," she recommended to the New York legislature.
Pierpont is close to completing a clinical research study, which could be the first on the subject.
Doctors in other countries, including Canada, England, France, Australia and New Zealand, have written papers about similar illnesses in people who live near wind farms.
Amanda Harry, a medical doctor in England, said in a research paper that she first realized there was a problem with low-frequency noise from turbines from a couple living near a wind farm in Cornwall. The distance from their home to the nearest turbine was about 1,300 feet.
The couple said they suffered from headaches, anxiety and lack of sleep. Sometimes the problem was so disturbing that they spent nights at a bed-and-breakfast.
Harry's research documented 39 people living from 1,000 feet to about 1.5 miles from turbines. She found that the sounds fluctuated, depending on the wind strength and direction. But she wrote that she thought the cases she found were only "the tip of the iceberg."
At the New University of Lisbon in Portugal, professor Mariana Alves-Pereira has found that sounds occurring at or below the frequency band 500 Hz could cause "vibro-acoustic" disease. Last year her research team obtained detailed acoustical measurements of a home near four turbines, and Pereira concluded that the sounds were high enough to be associated with vibro-acoustic disease.
Because of Pereira's research, the National Academy of Medicine in Paris has raised concerns over "chronic sound trauma" from wind turbines that could "constitute a permanent risk for the people exposed to them."
The academy has recommended halting wind farm construction closer than about one mile from residences while waiting for "precise studies of the risks connected with these installations."
A spokeswoman for the American Wind Energy Association said she was aware of the sound issue.
"But we don't have any information that this is a big issue," said Christine Real de Azua.
"There are a few people (complaining). I wouldn't say they are widespread. Some people are more sensitive to sounds."
"Does noise bother people differently? Absolutely," said Smith, the area audiologist. "It can have a very debilitating effect."
But, he said, before anyone can conclude that the wind turbines are harmful, a major study must be done.
Read research papers on wind turbine noise and health by clicking here
Read Dr. Nina Pierpont’s letters and testimony on the wind issue by clicking here
NOTE FROM THE BPRC RESEARCH NERD: Some of us are old enough to remember when cigarette smoke was considered to be no threat to health what-so-ever. The BPRC research nerd remembers watching Bambi in a movie theater in Richland Center with all the moms smoking away during the show. Even doctors on TV recommended smoking. (Click here for a trip down smoke-filled memory lane to see some of those old commercials) We now know differently. But the tobacco industry knew there was a problem long before we did, and they fought hard to hide the truth because of that green goblin called money.
There are documented negative effects on human health that result from living too close to noisy industrial turbines that are 40 stories tall and spinning. Support your local government's effort to establish safe setbacks.
WANT TO TALK TO SOMEONE ABOUT IT? Call 1-888-732-7234! Ready to talk to you 24/7! The Coalition for Wisconsin Environmental Stewardship (CWESt) is a grass roots organization of made up of people concerned about the responsible placement of wind turbines. CWESt's primary goal is to provide a central source for both gathering and giving out reliable information about industrial wind plant siting, issues relating to the industrial wind turbines and the effects on residents. CWESt will take your concerns and information to our legislators in Madison. The BPRC applauds CWESt for providing us with this very helpful resource.
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
CLICK HERE TO VISIT "WINDCOWS" A WISCONSIN BASED SISTER WEBSITE
CLICK HERE TO VISIT A NATIONAL SITE CALLED NATIONAL WIND-WATCH.ORG
4/12/08 What Are They Saying in the Washington Post about Wisconsin And Wind Turbines? BUCKY DON'T WANT 'EM 1000 FEET FROM HIS DOOR! He'd take a manure digester, though!
Wisconsin Feels Turbulence Over Pulling Power From Air
State Finds More Opposition Than Expected to Wind Turbines
Click to read this at the source: Washington Post Website
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 12, 2008; Page A02
CHICAGO -- Given Wisconsin's reputation as a "green" state, it would seem that a proposal to construct wind farms in Lake Michigan and Lake Superior off the state's shores would easily be approved.
But opposition to land-based wind farms and the slow development of wind power in the state have some wind power advocates gearing up for a fight with those expressing concern about humming noise, flickering shadows and ruined views.
"Anytime you talk about putting anything in the lake, there is going to be opposition," said Wisconsin state Sen. Jeffrey Plale (D). "People say it will be ugly. But if you go seven miles out, it will be beyond the sightline because of natural curvature of the earth. If we're serious about capturing wind, the lake is a logical place to look."
On April 3, Wisconsin's Public Service Commission voted to assess the potential for offshore wind turbines in Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, following the lead of Ohio, which has been investigating wind potential in the shallow waters of Lake Erie. Research into offshore wind potential is in the beginning stages, and no projects would be seen for at least five years.
Wisconsin's neighbors Minnesota and Iowa rank third and fourth nationally in total megawatts of wind power as of 2007, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Those states boast more than 1,200 megawatts capacity from wind, whereas Wisconsin ranks 23rd with 53 megawatts.
Wind power is considered a key to fulfilling 2006 legislation in Wisconsin mandating that 10 percent of the state's energy come from renewable sources by 2015.
But opposition to wind farms runs deep. Last month, the state Senate let die a bill by Plale that would have curbed municipal and county governments' ability to ban wind turbines.
"A lot of fear-mongering and misinformation went on," he said. "Now that process is delayed through at least January 2009, and there can be a lot of mischief before then."
A 133-turbine wind farm by the Chicago company Invenergy Wind LLC near Horicon Marsh in central Wisconsin is partially constructed and operating despite vociferous opposition.
"You've got to hear these things, they drive you nuts," said Joe Breaden, a retired high school ecology teacher who says he was mocked 20 years ago for warning about global warming. "It's a droning sound mixed in with a woo-woo-woo. It reminds me of the 'Twilight Zone.' "
Breaden is all for renewable power but thinks wind is inefficient, compared with solar. He is president of the citizens group Horicon Marsh Systems Advocates, which he says "won't give up until there's no stone unturned" in its efforts to halt the wind farm.
Marquette University student Kollin Petrie, 19, said his family refused to participate in a recent wind project on farmland in Fond du Lac County, north of Milwaukee. Wind power producers often pay farmers to erect turbines on their land.
"I've seen the effects," Petrie said. "They have to use humongous cranes to put them up, and now there are all these gravel roads cutting the farmland into random sections. It's kind of sad. My father felt the price wouldn't justify the cost we'd lose in land and aesthetic value."
We Energies faced considerable opposition to its recent 88-turbine, $300 million Blue Sky Green Field project in Fond du Lac County. The company is in discussions with one landowner angry that a turbine was accidentally built 47 feet closer to his property than state guidelines allow.
We Energies wind farm project manager Andy Hesselbach said opposition usually dies down once a project is constructed.
"If you talk to people with projects put up three to four years ago, it is a nonissue," he said. "People become accustomed to it. And having the turbines reduces the amount of urban development. You could look at our turbine today or 50 homes 10 years from now."
NOTE FROM THE BPRC RESEARCH NERD: One thing missing from this article is just why there is opposition to industrial wind plants being placed in communities like ours. The state of Wisconsin says a 40 story turbine can be placed 1000 feet from your door and make 50 decibels of noise. An open records request shows these numbers have no scientific or medical data behind them. In fact, they seem to come from power companies and wind lobbyists. The World Health Organization says harm to human health begins after 35 decibels of noise during sleep time. The difference between 50 decibels and 35 decibels is much greater than it seems once you understand how sound is calculated.
A decibel (abbreviated dB) is the internationally adopted unit for the relative intensity of sound. The intensity is “relative” because the measurement compares a loudness level to a reference level, usually the threshold of human hearing. The decibel scale is a logarithmic scale, meaning that for every 10 decibels, the loudness of a sound is increased by a factor of 10. For example, a relative intensity change of 30 dBs to 40dBs means the sound will be ten times louder than it was at 30 dBs. A change of 30 dBs to 50 dBs would mean the new sound would be 100 times as loud. Call up your high school science teacher and ask them! Or click here to contact the BPRC Research Nerd to learn more!
We thank Washington Post Staff writer Kari Lydersen for speaking to people on all sides of this issue. And give her an official BPRC tip of the hat (with Bucky on it, of course!)
PS.Why is noise pollution dangerous?
In the past, noise pollution was only thought to create health effects if the intensity was large enough to cause hearing damage. However, studies over the past several decades have found that long term-exposure to noise can cause potentially severe health problems—in addition to hearing loss--- especially for young children. Constant levels of noise (even at low levels) can be enough to cause stress, which can lead to high blood pressure, insomnia, psychiatric problems, and can even impact memory and thinking skills in children. In a German study, scientists found that children living near the Munich Airport had higher levels of stress, which impaired their ability to learn, while children living further away from the airport did not seem to experience the same problem.
(This information on sound comes from a BPRC Research Nerd favorite,"The Handy Physics Answer Book" by P.Eric Gunderson. This book is great for nerds and non-nerds alike!)
GOT TURBINE TROUBLES or CONCERNS?
Call 1-888-732-7234! Ready to talk to you 24/7! The Coalition for Wisconsin Environmental Stewardship (CWESt) is a grass roots organization of made up of people concerned about the responsible placement of wind turbines. CWESt's primary goal is to provide a central source for both gathering and giving out reliable information about industrial wind plant siting, issues relating to the industrial wind turbines and the effects on residents. CWESt will take your concerns and information to our legislators in Madison. The BPRC applauds CWESt for providing us with this very helpful resource.
ON WISCONSIN! ON MANURE DIGESTERS!
This is no bull! On April 10th, during Friday's NBC nightly news, there was a feature on the Wisconsin Crave Brothers dairy and cheese making operation in Waterloo, just east of Madison.They produce cheese that is a BPRC favorite! They have had so much success with their manure digester that it not only pays for their $6000 a month electrical bill but also powers 120 neighboring homes.
To see the NBC video, click here
On top of that they have captured harmful green house gasses, kept nitrates out of their waterways and have a salable clean-by product of potting soil!
Here's what the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had to say about it in June
Farm's new juice isn't moo
Methane from cow manure generates sustainable electricity
By BILL GLAUBER
bglauber@journalsentinel.com
Posted: June 25, 2007
Waterloo - At the Crave Brothers Dairy Farm, they grow corn and soybeans on 1,600 rolling acres of prime Wisconsin farmland, raise a herd of 750 dairy cows and produce prize-winning cheeses out of milk pumped straight from farm to factory.
But this year, the four Crave brothers added a new line to their family-run agribusiness.
They're turning manure into enough electricity to power 200 homes.
With the flick of a keystroke on a computer, Gov. Jim Doyle literally threw the switch Monday for the ceremonial start-up of an anaerobic digester at the sprawling Crave Brothers farm.
Why is this digester any different from the 23 others scattered around the state?
For one thing, it's fully automated. For another, the operation can be monitored from a computer desktop in Milwaukee, home to Clear Horizons and its holding company, PPC Partners, which bankrolled and built the $2 million digester.
Now, if they could just figure out a way to make a profit.
Richard R. Pieper Sr., chairman of the holding company, figures it costs 20 cents per kilowatt hour to produce energy at the Crave Brothers farm, but the firm receives only 5 cents per kilowatt hour from the local power company.
That's a pretty big loss leader.
"The wind people get 12 cents," Pieper said. "Solar gets 22 cents. We get a nickel. Give us those rates (wind and solar), and we can build more of these."
But Pieper is optimistic the venture can become profitable as well as do some good in helping the United States wean itself from foreign oil.
That's a point driven home by the governor.
"We want to produce 25 percent of our power from renewable resources by 2025," Doyle said.
Doyle said "it's not a pipe dream" to believe Clear Horizons' estimates that Wisconsin's agriculture industry has the potential to generate enough biogas to power 175,000 homes.
Even as a loss leader, though, the digester accomplishes quite a bit.
Take the manure, please.
There's around 1 million gallons of the stuff sitting in a massive holding tank and, amazingly, not much of a smell. The manure is heated at 105 degrees and breaks down over a month. Methane rises to the top to produce biogas, which is then used to generate electricity.
A couple of other products are also created. Liquid is used as fertilizer on the farm. Other solid material is used as bedding for the cows.
And, finally, a line of organic potting mixes is served up. It's called EnerGro.
Charles Crave, who oversees the farm's finances, said turning manure into power has been a dream of his for 25 years.
"You take a farmer's dreams and a visionary like Dick (Pieper) and you keep talking and talking, you finally get the job done," Crave said.
In a barn the length of a football field, the cows stand on slotted floors. Manure flows away through gravity.
No muss, no fuss.
"When you're handling many millions of gallons of manure, any way to handle that risk is helpful," Crave said. "What is in this for us is manure management, odor reduction. And a chance to move the operation forward using modern technology."
Amazing what you can do with 1 million gallons of manure and $2 million of investment.
Could this cow be Wisconsin's next "Miss Manure Digestor? She would look so good with a crown on!
4/11/08 Magnolia Tables its Ordinance in Order to Strenghten it Against a Boy Named SUE!
Last night at the tense but civil meeting at the Magnolia township hall, the Plan and Zoning board decided to table the wind ordinance in order to strengthen it. There were concerns about being able to defend the ordinance in court if the township was sued for adopting it.
On the way out the door, someone asked the BPRC Research Nerd who on earth would sue Magnolia Township over an ordinance intended to protect the health and safety of its residents?
A-hem. We'll table that question. Clues may be found in this article:
Catching a breeze by land
The Elgin, Ill.-based company wants to build a 100-megawatt project that could cover anywhere from 7,000 to 8,000 acres. But the town drafted an ordinance requiring 1,000-foot setbacks from property lines and half-mile setbacks from houses.
"The setback would strongly affect where we could build something," said Curt Bjurlin, Wisconsin project developer for EcoEnergy. "But it's still a bit premature to say anything for certain yet."
Magnolia was scheduled to hold its first public hearing on the ordinance Thursday night, after The Daily Reporter's press deadline. That ordinance was first drafted by Union Township, and resident Tom Alisankus said Magnolia still beat Union to the punch.
"We came up with the ordinance, but due to scheduling issues here, we still haven't adopted it here," Alisankus said. "We haven't even held a public hearing on it."
Union Township drafted the ordinance to respond to an EcoEnergy proposal, Alisankus said, but it was a much smaller project than that in Magnolia.
Still, Alisankus said, the local setbacks work for any project because, unlike the state's model ordinance for wind farm developers, the Union Township committee researched various health effects of turbines and studied statistics from The National Research Council and the World Health Organization.
"The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin was intimately involved with that model ordinance," Alisankus said. "They did zero medical or scientific research. The model ordinance calls for a 1,000-foot setback, but they admitted they had no background on establishing the number. They just said they doubled the height of a turbine."
Since the Magnolia project looks to break the 100-megawatt mark, the PSC, not the town, will make the final call on the project.
Tim Le Monds, the PSC's director of governmental and public affairs, said the PSC would take the town's concerns into consideration and provide opportunities for public comment.
He also said the PSC will look into the scientific and medical data the Union Township committee researched, but admitted when it comes to large wind farm projects, the PSC refuses little.
"I'd say in most cases we pass the projects," Le Monds said. "But you have to realize that we get it from both ends. We hear from local governments about how they don't want wind farms, but we also hear from the state how we have to break away from coal-fired plants, look at cleaner options and meet standards."
But, he said, that doesn't mean the PSC rubber-stamps the proposals.
"Arguments that we're automatically always in favor, though, aren't founded," Le Monds said. "Wind farms still account for a very small percentage of generation in Wisconsin."
But they're popping up more and more. Disputes between local governments and wind farm developers on where to place wind farms rose to a new level last year when Trempealeau County set a one-mile setback distance from homes, schools and businesses. Developers argued they were left with no available space.
State and environmental officials argued Wisconsin was implying it was closed for wind farm business. Legislation raced through the Capitol last month to give the state ultimate control in establishing setback rules, but a state Senate committee killed it, arguing the topic needed more time.
Responses in Magnolia varied last year, said Steve Earleywine, a member of the town committee that put Magnolia's ordinance together.
He said the town might need four or five months before adopting the rule.
EcoEnergy, Bjurlin said, is willing to wait.
"It's still under early development," he said. "We haven't started signing agreements or anything. We're only at the feasibility stage and looking at land availability."