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Wind farm fallacies highlight need for informed
siting ordinances

An article recently appearing in the Door County Advocate (Impact of wind turbines questioned, Could turbines hurt future digital communication 9.05.07) posed more questions about the impact of wind turbines than it answered. Instead of clarifying the issue, the article served to raise the — unsubstantiated — spectre of interference with digital communications systems should a wind farm be sited nearby. In doing so, it threw the spotlight on the need for complete and accurate information before decisions can be made about wind farm ordinances.

Myths abound about how wind turbines pose a threat to bird populations, produce excessive noise, or deflate local property values, all of which have proven to be untrue. The digital communications interference issue is yet one more red herring. Studies have consistently shown that wind turbines reduce pollution and provide income for local economies all while producing cheap electricity for local homes and businesses.

The lack of complete and accurate information regarding wind turbines begs the question of how towns and counties could be expected to develop informed ordinances for siting wind farms. In fact, local and county wind farm siting ordinances have popped up across the state — often based on inaccurate or incomplete information on issues such as digital communications interference — making it more difficult or impossible to site wind turbines.

It would be shortsighted for local municipalities or Door County to deny the area the economic windfalls associated with building wind facilities by making it more difficult to site wind turbines. Studies have shown that even relatively small wind farms can provide hundreds of jobs for the area while boosting local tax revenues and increasing income for local land owners.

Knowledgeable staff at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin have developed standards to be used for siting large wind farms. Local officials should defer to the statewide standards created by the Public Service Commission instead of creating new local wind ordinances — and embrace the economic benefits and secure energy future that wind power brings.

(Note: Door County currently has the most restrictive wind farm siting ordinance on the books, which calls for wind farm developers to make reparations should any interference with communications systems develop.)

Ryan Schryver
Clean Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
608.251.7020 ext. 25