Our Legacy of Victory
Wind Siting Framework
In the early 2000s, clean wind energy technology began advancing rapidly, dropping costs and making it possible to meet large power demand with zero-emissions wind projects. But siting those projects in Wisconsin proved nearly impossible because the state lacked a standardized process, relying instead on a patchwork of local ordinances.
In 2006, Clean Wisconsin began advocating for statewide wind siting standards and procedures. In 2009 the Legislature greenlit the creation of Administrative Code PSC 128, and Clean Wisconsin helped draft sensible, protective statewide rules for siting wind projects. PSC 128 took effect in 2012.
After initially denying the Highland Wind farm proposed for St. Croix County, the Public Service Commission heard the case again in 2013. It was the commission’s first time considering a wind project under the PSC 128 process. Clean Wisconsin intervened in the case, and in the end, the commission reversed its original decision and approved the project. Since then, a number of wind farms have been approved in Wisconsin under the rule’s standards.
Why It Matters
Wind is among the cheapest, fastest-to-deploy sources of energy in Wisconsin today. Wind projects not only provide clean, emissions-free energy, they are a much-needed, stable source of income for Wisconsin’s farming families.
Wind energy is essential to help Wisconsin meet its climate goals and can bring transformative economic opportunities for our rural communities, setting the stage for true energy independence in our state.
