Opposition continues as wind developers renew interest southwest Wisconsin 

Interest in creating wind farms in southwest Wisconsin appears to be growing as developers submit proposals to government agencies or sign land-use agreements with area residents.

Grant County land records indicate that several dozen properties around Patch Grove, Bloomington and Mount Hope have signed easements for wind energy projects with Hidden Valley Energy Project LLC since 2023, while properties in Cassville and Beetown townships have signed easements with Heartland Wind LLC. Neither company has submitted documents yet to Public Service Commission of Wisconsin or the Federal Aviation Administration, which determines whether proposed projects are hazards to air navigation.

Meanwhile, other developers are proceeding with pre-construction plans for projects, including Pattern Energy’s Uplands project, consisting of two 300-megawatt wind projects slated for construction in 2025 in Lafayette and Iowa counties, and Invenergy’s Badger Hollow, a 118-megawatt project slated for construction in 2025 in the Livingston area.

Grant County Board Chairman Robert Keeney said some companies have been communicative about their plans, while others have not engaged with county officials. Keeney said the county does not have much control over the projects but is eager to work with both developers and residents who have expressed concerns.

“There’s good and bad to all of it,” Keeney said. “(Area landowners) need to think about the future and what the long-term ramifications are to their properties.”

Keeney said a combination of federal incentives for the development of renewable energy sources and a gap in local energy production left by the 2015 closure of the Nelson Dewey Generating Station in Cassville has contributed to developers’ interest in southwest Wisconsin.

Keeney said most developers he has worked with are open to hearing out county leaders’ concerns.

Nonetheless, a group of citizens has been organizing against the wind projects for years. Several events this year have drawn crowds, including a group of about 100 who came to the Cassville High School gym on Wednesday to hear from speakers arguing against the projects.

Pete Moris, a Mount Hope resident and leading organizer against southwest Wisconsin wind projects, said energy companies have not engaged with concerned residents. Regardless, he said, residents also should hear from those who do not have a financial stake in the wind projects.

“People want information,” Moris said. “They want information other than … what’s coming from the energy company. They want it coming from someone who doesn’t have a financial stake in the outcome.”

Moris said his passion for the issue stems from his upbringing in the Driftless region, which he said should be protected from large-scale industrial projects.

“I was raised on a farm in southwest Wisconsin,” he said. “I’ve got a great appreciation for the fact that the Driftless region is geologically, ecologically … one of the most unique places on Earth.”

Speakers such as Rob Danielson, another leading local organizer, encouraged landowners who are approached by developers to seek legal counsel to better understand land-use documents.

“You’ve got to have someone help you go through every sentence,” Danielson said.

Other speakers cited perceived health effects caused by wind turbines, citing a 2020 report by Madison County, Iowa, cardiologist Ben Johnson that documented cases of nausea, dizziness and sleep disturbances in those living in the vicinity of wind farms.

However, a vast majority of studies do not back up claims of health impacts caused by wind turbines, according to a May report by the Wind Siting Council, a body created by state law to study the impacts of wind energy systems and advise the Public Service Commission. Council members include representatives of wind energy system developers, environmental groups and landowners living near wind systems.

“Of the 59 articles cited in the report, only three studies suggest potential negative health impacts from wind turbines,” the council’s review states. “However, after a thorough review of these studies, reasonable arguments were found to question the legitimacy of their conclusions.”

Moris said he hopes to see more community engagement from wind energy developers, as well as prior notice to communities before they solicit land use agreements.

Matt Dallas, communications and media relations representative with Pattern Energy, said this week that no Pattern Energy representatives were available to be interviewed. However, he highlighted a recent donation by the company to the construction of a new fire department facility in Platteville as a sign of the company’s commitment to southwest Wisconsin communities.

In an emailed statement, Brandon Davis, lead developer on the Badger Hollow Wind project, said safety and community engagement are top priorities for Invenergy.

Davis noted the projected 200 jobs to be created during the project’s peak construction, more than $64 million projected investments in local communities from tax revenue and lease payments and Invenergy’s donations to local fire and EMS services.

“Our team values community engagement, and we have been active community partners for many years,” Davis wrote.