Date: June 17, 2009
Contact: Noah Seligman, 608-215-9370
Wind Siting Reform Gains Strong Bipartisan Committee Vote

The Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities passes AB 256, wind
siting reform, on a
10-2 vote

The 12-member Assembly Committee on Energy & Utilities voted 10-2 to
advance AB
256 (Senate companion SB 185), wind siting reform, to the full
Assembly. The vote was
bipartisan, with six Democrats and four Republicans on the committee
voting in favor of
the bill. Wind siting reform has 20 cosponsors in the Assembly and 11
in the Senate,
with support from both parties.

A substitute amendment was added on an 11-1 vote that would require
the PSC to hold
two public hearings outside of Dane County as part of its rule-making.
The amendment
also provided additional wildlife protections, technical changes, and
inclusion of Smart
Growth planning in regulating wind energy projects.

“The bipartisan committee approval demonstrates strong consensus on
the need for wind
siting reform,” said Curt Pawlisch, spokesman for Wind for Wisconsin.
“Wind siting
reform will be an engine for economic activity in Wisconsin, attract
new investment
opportunities, and support current state energy policy.”

SB 185/AB 256 directs the Public Service Commission (PSC) to initiate
an
administrative rule-making process to establish statewide siting
standards for wind
energy projects. The PSC is an independent regulatory agency dedicated
to serving the
public interest. The bill draft requires the PSC to establish an
advisory committee of
diverse interests to advise the Commission on the rules. The
legislature will have the
opportunity to review the proposed rules prior to their publication.

Wind for Wisconsin is optimistic that a floor vote in the Assembly
would garner the same
strong bipartisan support demonstrated in committee and among
cosponsors.
###
CAMPAIGN SUPPORTERS
• Addison Wind Energy, LLC
• AgWind Energy Partners
• American Transmission Company
• American Wind Energy Association
• Associated General Contractors of
Wisconsin, Inc.
• Boldt Construction
• Broadwind Energy
• Citizens Utility Board
• Clean Wisconsin
• Construction Business Group
• Customers First Coalition
• Dairyland Power Cooperative
• EcoEnergy, LLC
• Emerging Energies, LLC
• Federal Marine Terminals, Inc.
• Fednav
• Great Lakes Utilities
• Horizon Wind Energy
• Iberdrola Renewables
• IBEW 2150
• IBEW 965
• Invenergy, LLC
• IUOE Local 310
• Lake Michigan Wind and Sun
• League of Women Voters –
Wisconsin
• Madison Gas & Electric
• Michels Wind Energy
• Midwest Renewable Energy
Association
• Midwest Wind Energy
• Municipal Electric Utilities of WI
• Natural Resources Consulting, Inc.
• Operating Engineers Local #139
• Orion Construction Group
• Orion Energy Systems
• Port of Milwaukee
• Renewegy
• RENEW Wisconsin
• Ritger Law Office
• Seventh Generation Energy Systems
• Sierra Club – John Muir Chapter
• Union of Concerned Scientists
• United Steel Workers
• Uriel Wind, LLC
• Wausaukee Composites
• Wisconsin Agribusiness Council
• Wind Capital Group
• Wind on the Wires
• Wisconsin Commercial Ports
Association
• Wisconsin Environment
• Wisconsin Farmers Union
• Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation
• Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group
• Wisconsin Laborers’ District
Council
• Wisconsin Land and Water
Conservation Association
• Wisconsin League of Conservation
Voters
• Wisconsin Manufacturers and
Commerce
• WPPI Energy
• Wisconsin State Council of
Carpenters
• Wisconsin Utilities Association
• Xcel/Northern States Power-
Wisconsin
Note: while the endorsing entities support statewide permitting
standards for wind energy, this should not be construed as a blanket
endorsement of future legislative or regulatory changes to permitting
wind energy systems in Wisconsin.