October 18, 2006
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Citizens will have two opportunities to voice their opinions on the Blue Sky Green Field Wind Farm in towns of Calumet and Marshfield in northeast Fond du Lac County.
Public hearings will be held at 3 and 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, at the Calumet Town Hall, W2104 County Trunk HH.
“Members of the public can go in and make statements about the project,” We Energies Wind Farm Project Manager Andy Hesselbach said.
The plan calls for 88 turbines producing 132 to 200 megawatts of power.
“It’s been moving pretty smoothly,” Hesselbach said of the wind farm’s progress. “There are always questions that come up but so far things look good. It’s progressing well and we look forward to getting through the hearing process and taking the next step.”
The hearings are the last step in the Wisconsin Public Service Commission’s approval process. After the hearings, the PSC will consider the written and verbal comments along with other information We Energies has submitted regarding the project and decide whether or not to approve permits for the wind farm.
Hesselbach estimates the PSC will make its decision by January or February. If approved, construction will begin sometime between 2007 and 2009 depending on equipment availability and other factors, he said. The project has already received Federal Aviation Administration approval.
“Construction could start very quickly or if the equipment is not coming in quickly it could be a little later,” he said.
The wind farm will be operational about one year after construction begins.
Blue Sky Green Field Wind Farm’s PSC application can be found online at http://www.we-energies.com/environmental/certpubconvnec_app.pdf.
More information on the wind farm is available at http://www.we-energies.com/environmental/bluesky_greenfield.htm.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2006/10/18/wind-farm-hearings-scheduled/