Wind turbine opponents air radio ads in Wisconsin
By Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The opponents of the state's largest wind farm, led by the National Wildlife Refuge Association, have begun radio advertisements in Madison, and have more planned for Fond du Lac, calling on Gov. Jim Doyle to intervene to stop or slow development of the project.
The ads began running August 15, timed to coincide with the governor's announcement of an environmental and energy policy program that includes a greater state investment in renewable energy.
Opponents of the wind-power project are concerned that development of the Forward Energy Center, a project of Chicago energy company Invenergy, will result in the destruction of birds at the marsh.
"The governor's out in front on the question of renewable energy. Our concern is that you can be for renewable energy and also be responsible. To put (the wind turbines) this close is not responsible," said Paul Baicich of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. "If he wants to be known as the environmental governor, he'd better be looking at the whole picture."
Groups including the Horicon Marsh System Advocates, Wisconsin Audubon Council and the National Wildlife Refuge Association want the turbines to be built at least 4 miles from the border of the marsh.
The state Public Service Commission has approved placing turbines 2 miles from the edge of the marsh. That buffer was imposed based on the recommendations of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the marsh, and the state Department of Natural Resources, said Linda Barth of the service commission.
Opponents of the project have asked for that agency to take a second look at the issue, and the commission has until Sept. 2 to decide whether to do so.
Asked about the issue during a recent appearance in Milwaukee touting his environmental and energy agenda, Doyle said he would not get involved in a decision that rests with the state Public Service Commission.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service originally sought a buffer of 3 to 4 miles from the marsh but later endorsed a minimum buffer of 2 miles. It called for more studies to be conducted to document the impact the turbines have on wildlife.
Baicich and the other groups seeking to reverse the PSC's decision would like to see the buffer extended to at least four or five miles from the marsh, leaving open the possibility of letting them be built closer, based on the results of continuing bird studies.
"Once they're up, the turbines will not be coming down," said Karen Etter Hale of the Wisconsin Audubon Council.
The debate over the Forward project has pitted environmental groups that advocate for clean energy against groups concerned about wind turbines' impact on birds and bats.
The Wisconsin Public Interest Group recently issued a report touting the environmental benefits of wind power, something that group executive director Jennifer Giegerich said she wouldn't have thought necessary.
"But if you take a big-picture view of our energy choices, if you care about wildlife and the environment, global warming has to be the top issue, and that is the biggest threat," she said. "And in Wisconsin over 70 percent of our energy comes from coal, with four or five new plants being proposed."
Of all sources of generating electricity, coal-fired power plants result in more emissions of carbon dioxide, a contributor to global warming. Wind turbines generate no pollution.
Neil Palmer, a spokesman for the Forward project, said Forward is in the midst of another study, the results of which it could use to petition to move the buffer to 1.5 miles from the marsh rather than 2 miles.
Based on the studies so far, he said, "If you look at the record, the actual data, both for modern wind farms in this country including in sites that are very similar to this one, the avian impact is minimal, on the order of two birds per turbine per year."
Forward hopes to be online generating electricity next year, Palmer said.
The project aims to sell to customers of four utilities: Wisconsin Public Power Inc. of Sun Prairie; Madison Gas & Electric Co.; Wisconsin Power & Light Co. of Madison; and Wisconsin Public Service Corp. of Green Bay.
The project would generate roughly four times as much power as all of the wind turbines operating in Wisconsin today.
"But if you take a big-picture view of our energy choices, if you care about wildlife and the environment, global warming has to be the top issue, and that is the biggest threat," said Jennifer Giegerich, executive director of the Wisconsin Public Interest Group.
