November 5, 2010
Wisconsin

Update: Hearing canceled on wind siting rules

Sheboygan Press Staff, www.sheboyganpress.com 4 November 2010

A state Assembly committee meeting on wind siting rules scheduled for Tuesday has been abruptly canceled “without explanation,” according to state Rep. Steve Kestell.

The hearing, requested by Kestell (R-Elkhart Lake), was to have been held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at the State Capitol building. Kestell said that Rep. James Soletski, chairman, Energy & Utilties Committee, canceled the meeting Thursday without explanation.

Kestell said he asked for the public hearing on new wind turbine siting standards in response to concerns from constituents of the 27th Assembly District where wind energy systems are currently located.

“There are many questions and concerns about these rules from citizens statewide and I have personally heard from many constituents as there are existing wind turbines in my district,” Kestell said in a press release. “I requested a public hearing be held because these are people with actual first-hand experience living with wind turbines and their perspective would be invaluable to committee members in deciding whether changes are warranted.”

Kestell said he would continue to press for a hearing on the issue.

Thee rules were recently approved by the Public Service Commission as PSC 128 and impose statewide standards that will apply everywhere in Wisconsin and overrule local government rules and regulations on wind turbine placement. A copy of the rules can be found here: http://psc.wi.gov/mediaRoom/documents/windSitingRules.pdf

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/11/05/update-hearing-canceled-on-wind-siting-rules/