Forward Energy Wind Farm, Town of Byron, Fond du Lac County, 2009

Red Alert, Wisconsin

A draft of a bill that would allow the Public Service Commission to repeat the wind turbine siting disasters in Fond du Lac and Dodge Counties has been introduced by Senator Jeff Plale, (D- South Milwaukee) (scroll to end of post to read more).

Wisconsin residents are speaking out about what the passage of this bill will mean for rural Wisconsin.

Wind power isn't so friendly

Green Bay Press-Gazette

15 March 2009

The March 2 article stating that wind turbines will greatly reduce our dependence on foreign oil is misleading. Wind turbines produce electricity, and according to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, only about 1 percent of the state’s electricity is generated by burning oil.

In Wisconsin’s haste to promote wind energy, 215 turbines — each 400 feet tall — were built in the Fond du Lac area, with sites dictated by the state and wind developers. Residents’ concerns were ignored. Now, many living among the turbines describe the noise from the blade rotation as “jet like” and can be heard in their homes with windows closed. No one is listening to their pleas, just as their concerns were ignored.

Additionally, electricity derived from turbines is extremely expensive and unreliable. Because wind is intermittent, turbines produce electricity only about 25 percent of the time. Since Denmark enthusiastically promoted wind energy, its electricity rate has risen to 30 cents per kilowatt hour, about three times Wisconsin’s current rate.

Presently, Wisconsin wants more turbines along with control of the permitting process. We cannot afford such an expensive, unreliable source of energy nor have residents’ voices silenced by taking the permitting process away from our local communities.

Patricia Bal
Pulaski

Green Bay Press-Gazette

15 March 2009

It should be noted that Senator Plale will have no wind turbines in his district, and no constituents who will be affected by this bill. The main impact will be on residents of rural Wisconsin.

Though the bill mentions no specifics about setbacks, noise limits, and other siting concerns, it is very clear about giving turbine siting approval to the PSC.

The PSC approved the siting of turbines 1000 feet from non-participating residents homes, and a noise limit of 50 decibels. Residents in the PSC approved wind farms of Fond du Lac and Dodge Counties are now having a hard time living with the disastrous results.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A DRAFT OF SENATOR PLALE'S BILL

After you read it, please call your legislators (click here to find out who they are and how to contact them) and let them know if they want wind turbine siting reform, it should be based it on the Town of Union's Large Wind Ordinance, not a "recycled ordinance guidelines provided by an out-of-state utility"

(Click here to download the Union Ordinance)

(Click here to download the Wisconsin draft Model ordinance, which has since been pulled from the PSC website)