State senator wants ’emergency rules’ on Wisconsin wind turbine construction

A Wisconsin state senator wants the Public Service Commission to enact emergency rules governing where wind turbines can be built.

Frank Lasee represents the first senate district in Northeastern Wisconsin. He says he knows of at least three families from rural parts of his district that have moved because of health concerns regarding nearby wind turbines. He says they can’t sell their houses.

Lasee delivered a stack of medical reports to the Public Service Commission and is asking the PSC to stop allowing the siting of turbines near homes. “I’d like them to revisit it, suspend the current rules so wind towers can’t be built and come up with a better setback that protects the citizens of our state as the state statute requires,” he says.

Right now wind turbines must be 1250 feet from homes. Lasee wants that increased to at least one mile.

A PSC spokeswoman says the setback requirements were changed in earlier this year. Kristin Reusch says any further action would have to come via the legislature. “The rules have been in place since March of this year the Legislature had suspended the rules and had the option to permanently suspend the rules by the end of the legislative session but they did not choose to do so,” she says.

Ruesch says the PSC is “ready and willing” to enforce turbine siting rules as directed by the legislature.