Contact: Noah Seligman, 608-310-3338

On a 6-1 vote, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Utilities, Energy,
and Rail passes SB
185, wind siting reform.

The 7-member Senate Committee on Commerce, Utilities, Energy, and Rail
voted 6-1 to
advance SB 185 (Assembly companion AB 256), wind siting reform, to the
full Senate.

The vote was bipartisan, with four Democrats and two 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 a unanimous 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 responsible consideration
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.”

Wind for Wisconsin is optimistic that a floor vote in the Senate 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, Inc.
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 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.