By a 3-0 vote Tuesday, Nicollet County commissioners approved a request from New Ulm Public Utilities (NUPU) to erect a 198-foot meteorological tower in Lafayette Township.

Commissioners Bruce Beatty and Jack Kolars abstained on the vote, which came in front of about 50 rural residents.

The guyed, tubular, steel tower will be placed on Sharon Hacker's property for 3-5 years, according to the Conditional Use Permit. It will be used to collect weather data for a possible future NUPU wind turbine project.

Conditions included relocating the tower at applicant's expense if it interferes with existing electromagnetic communications.

After the meeting, Beatty and Kolars said they abstained on the vote after learning that NUPU would not make weather data public until they are ready to apply for a wind turbine project permit.

The issue arose after Commissioner Judy Hanson and acting Nicollet County Attorney Jerry Lucas asked NPUC when the weather data would be made public.

"You can't force us to release it," said New Ulm City Attorney Hugh Nierengarten. "It will be made public after we decide to do the project."

Earlier in the meeting, commissioners unanimously approved a one-year moratorium, effective immediately, on Nicollet County wind turbine projects.

Beatty told The Journal the moratorium was created so commissioners could gather more data on the issue for the health, safety and welfare of county residents and ensure "we're doing the right thing."

Speaking on behalf of concerned citizens, Jeff Franta read a petition against the project signed by 77 rural residents he said was sent to the NUPU Commission more than two months ago.

"A MET tower means wind turbines are imminent," said Franta. "...The three landowners that signed leases did it for fear of implied threat of eminent domain. They aren't here, they're afraid."

Nierengarten disputed that, however. "There was no threat to condemn property," he said. "Land owners broke off negotiations with us, then came back to us to negotiate leases. Anybody that says anything else about that is lying."

Franta called NUPU's plans for five wind turbines "only the start of a wind farm in an area with some of the richest farmland in the world."

Franta suggested building wind turbines in southwestern Brown County, where there's more wind and fewer buildings, people and crops.

Franta said underground power lines (between wind turbines) could harm tiled fields. Other concerns he mentioned were light flicker, noise, taxes and other available "green" energy.

"Excel Energy already has "green" energy available to New Ulm," said Franta.

"It's hard to imagine even one resident burdened with all these concerns. ... None of us want these towers. ... We'll use all legal options against this project," added Franta.

Kim Reinhart mentioned numerous chronic health effects caused by wind turbines on humans and livestock.

Nierengarten said the City of New Ulm hired "true" experts to research the issue.

"You can find whatever you want on the Internet," he added. "...It's the same reactionary response when the hog industry began here decades ago.

"It's NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard)."

Nierengarten said his daughter attended college in Northfield where wind turbines are used on Carlton and St. Olaf campuses.

"She said there were no issues with them," he added.

Nierengarten said NUPU has not decided if and when the wind turbine project would begin.

He compared erecting the MET tower to getting an x-ray before surgery.

Nierengarten said the three property owners who signed three-year leases that could be expanded for up to 60 years with NUPU were not constrained by any judicial "gag orders," as one news report in the Lafayette Ledger indicated.

Regarding the question of whether or not NUPU wind turbines would be built in a place without enough wind, Nierengarten said most people would not sell wind turbines unless sites have enough wind resources.

"There are many ifs to be answered before NUPU does a wind turbine project," he added.