How close would you want to live to a wind farm? That's a question lawmakers are considering as they try to create more wind energy projects. State Senators are scheduled Tuesday to vote on a bill (SB 185), which would direct the Public Service Commission to set a statewide set of standards on where turbines could be sited in relation to homes and businesses. As of now, depending on the county, those tall spinning turbines can as be close as 500 feet from homes, or as far away as one mile.

FRIESLAND (WKOW) -- How close would you want to live to a wind farm? That's a question lawmakers are considering as they try to create more wind energy projects.

State Senators are scheduled Tuesday to vote on a bill (SB 185), which would direct the Public Service Commission to set a statewide set of standards on where turbines could be sited in relation to homes and businesses.

As of now, depending on the county, those tall spinning turbines can as be close as 500 feet from homes, or as far away as one mile.

Some call them renewable and graceful. Others say wind turbines ruin the scenery.

In Friesland, village president Carl VanderGalien has heard both sides.

"It's divided this community," VanderGalien said on Monday over a proposal from WE Energy for a 90-turbine project in the Columbia County countryside between Friesland, Randolph, and Cambria. Thirty-five would be within one and a half miles of Friesland's village limits.

"There are people that are against it, and people that are fine with it," he said.

In doing research and hearing from residents, though, VanderGalien wishes he had more information about health and noise effects.

"We need better facts to make the decision on this," he added.

Apart from health, other questions quality of life near a wind farm remain. A homeowner in Fond du Lac County posted this video on YouTube.

At sunset, shadows flickered off and on, inside and out.

"This effect could have been avoided of responsible setback parameters were set up," said the homeowner in the video. The home that's featured is about one thousand feet from a turbine. Stories like this had some counties push their setback requirements to a full mile.

"Essentially, the wind industry in Wisconsin is dead at the moment," said Ed Blume from RENEW Wisconsin.

Wind energy supporters like Blume said the hodgepodge of local ordinances that has resulted now makes it difficult to build any large wind farm in the state Wisconsin. "If they have to fight here to get a wind project built, and they could go to Iowa and Minnesota, they're going to go to Iowa and Minnesota."

Of SB 185, VanderGalien said he would prefer that local communities be allowed to set their own standards, adding that southern Wisconsin is generally more densely populated than northern parts of the state.

"Let local people make the decision in this," said the village President.

Even if lawmakers approve the bill, the PSC then would still have to decide on what the standard should be.

Another law requires utilities in Wisconsin to generate ten-percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2015, though they could tap into wind farms in other states to meet the mandate.

Web link: http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11126331