SOUTH HAVEN - A Lynden Township landowner isn't giving up on his plan to put a wind turbine on his property near the Clearwater River.

The township denied his request in July after neighbors protested that the tower would ruin their view and affect property values. But now Russ Pearson is taking his request to Stearns County, proposing to put the turbine in an area where the county has authority.

The case is the first real test of Stearns County's land-use regulations since they were revised last year to encourage more small wind projects.

Pearson is one of a growing number of Central Minnesotans interested in capturing wind energy to reduce electric bills and get their power from a renewable source that doesn't contribute to global warming.

The county planning commission recommended denying the request, but county commissioners decided to hold their own public hearing.

It is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. Tuesday.

Pearson wants to erect a 120-foot wind tower with 20-foot blades to generate electricity for his home an d sell some back to local utilities.

Lynden Township declined to approve a conditional-use permit for Pearson last year. He is appealing that decision in district court.

The township placed a temporary ban on new wind towers until it could adopt tougher regulations. The board of supervisors approved a new ordinance earlier this year that requires a conditional-use permit for towers taller than 40 feet in a residential area, said Chelle Benson, the Benton County director of development who was hired by Lynden Township as a consultant.

The township wants to make sure wind turbines are placed and managed well, Benson said.

"They're not opposed to his idea, and they're not opposed to the idea of wind energy," she said. "It has to do with location and how it affects neighboring property."

Benson said Pearson is using a loophole - an outdated federal map that shows the shore land area in a flood plain - to skirt the township and apply to the county instead. Stearns County's rules for wind towers don't include the same height restrictions, she said.

Jim Sarcone with the Des Moines-based Farm Boy Energy, which is working with Pearson, said he's hoping for better success with the county. Sarcone said the township has had a "not-in-my-backyard attitude" because of fear of the unknown.

"We feel that we'll get a fair shake from the county," he said.

Stearns County hasn't seen a large number of wind projects that have stirred up vocal opposition, said Don Adams, environmental services director. That could change if the county becomes a possible location for a large-scale wind farm, he said.

Several companies have erected meteorological towers in Central Minnesota, including Stearns County, to assess whether the area would be suitable for a wind farm. On Thursday, the county planning commission will decide whether to approve permits for Edina-based Geronimo Wind Energy for four such towers in Albany, Krain, Raymond and Zion townships.

"I think in time, you will see proposals for fields of these things," Adams said. That will require local officials to weigh the aesthetic effects with the need for renewable energy, he said.

Additional Facts

If you go ...

What: Stearns County Board of Commissioners' public meeting on a landowner's request to erect a wind turbine in Lynden Township.
When, where: 10:15 a.m. Tuesday in the board room of the county Administration Center, 705 Courthouse Square.