To paraphrase a southwest Wisconsin lawmaker, now the devil is in the details. On Wednesday, Gov. Jim Doyle signed a bill that calls for state regulators to come up with statewide rules for wind farms. The state Public Service Commission's rules will trump any local ordinances, including several moratoriums enacted by the Smelser Town Board of Trustees.

Calumet County's crusade to create restrictive blanket rules for turbine construction suffered another setback after the state Legislature passed a bill this week that would create a statewide standard for placing turbines. The bill will hit the desk of Gov. Jim Doyle, who is expected to sign it. County Board Chairman Bill Barribeau said state standards - which would be set by the Public Service Commission - would override local ones.

A group that fought this week's approval of a wind power siting bill in the state Legislature will receive nearly $16,000 to raise concerns about the new wind farm being proposed by We Energies in Columbia County. The Coalition for Wisconsin Environmental Stewardship had proposed to spend $17,525 on expert witnesses, research and legal fees in the Public Service Commission case involving the Glacier Hills Wind Park.

Wisconsin lawmakers have sent a bill creating statewide wind farm standards to Gov. Jim Doyle. The Democratic-authored bill calls for the state Public Service Commission to set restrictions on wind farms that produce less than 100 megawatts.

The state Senate has passed legislation that could ease wind farm development in Wisconsin. The bill's author, South Milwaukee Democrat Jeff Plale, says local regulations makes siting wind farms too difficult. ...Critics charge the bill will allow the PSC to quickly push through wind energy projects, without determining how they'll impact those living around them. Plale said they've worked to address those concerns with a citizens panel which will work with the PSC.

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.

Across Wisconsin, smaller-scale wind developers like Winn say super-restrictive local ordinances are suffocating their businesses. Now lawmakers are stepping in with a bill that calls for the three-person Public Service Commission to create statewide rules. The Senate is expected to vote on the measure Tuesday. Supporters argue the Democratic-authored legislation will streamline wind farm permits ...Opponents consider the measure a power-grab and fear regulators will approve projects to meet the 10 percent renewable mark, ignoring the turbines' effects on neighbors' health and quality of life.

It was the strangest sensation Lynda Barry ever felt: a near-constant vibration within her body. ...Barry was standing in a house in Fond du Lac County, near a wind farm. The vibration she felt was created by wind-power turbines, one just 1,100 feet away. These were part of the Blue Sky Green Fields wind project, 88 wind towers owned and operated by We Energies. The owners of the house complained of ringing in their ears anytime the wind turbines and their 100-foot blades were spinning.

In recent weeks, the oil lobby and a manufacturers trade group ignited a campaign in the Mountain West and Midwest asserting that the House legislation would be a job killer. Environmental and labor groups have countered with a "Made in America" tour to highlight the green jobs they say would be created.

Either way, the sound of wind turbines is making more ears perk up as a bill moves forward in the Legislature that would empower the Public Service Commission to create statewide rules governing wind power and pre-empt local government control over their placement. The rules would govern the distance between turbines and homes along with their noise and the flicker effects of shadows from their turbine blades.

Two bills currently before both houses of the state legislature would give more of that kind of control to Wisconsin's Public Service Commission, taking it away from municipalities. "I'd rather have my town board be able to have my destiny in their hands, rather than three guys appointed by the governor," said McIlrath. Wind energy firm, Wind Capital told WISC-TV that they are conducting land and wind surveys in the area, but have no long term contracts for projects.

A state senate panel has advanced a bill that would create a statewide standard for siting wind farms in Wisconsin. But senators changed the plan to add protections for people who live near the massive wind turbines. ...under a provision passed by a senate panel, the PSC would have to consider the health effects of wind turbines when they decide how far to set them back from homes.

A state Senate committee today voted 6-1 to approve a bill to establish statewide siting standards for wind energy projects. "It's time to make decisions and if we are to get away from reliance on Mideast oil, we need to find a way to site these wind energy systems," said Sen. Bob Wirch, D-Kenosha. Senate Bill 185 directs the state Public Service Commission to work on statewide siting standards.

It is a mistake for Wisconsin officials to focus on their goal of generating 25 percent of energy from renewable sources without keeping in mind the other 75 percent, according to state lawmakers. "If, in 16 years' time, we've got coal or nuclear plants being retired, we need to know what we're replacing that with," said state Rep. Jim Soletski, D-Green Bay. Still, Soletski said, the state's 25 percent by 2025 goal makes it difficult to break the focus on renewable energy - even for him.

A recent Wisconsin appeals court ruling wipes away ordinances written in Union and Magnolia townships to regulate wind energy systems, experts say. ..."Even though we apparently wasted $40,000 coming up with an ordinance, I don't think the money was completely wasted because I think we have solid, scientific facts that will give our community and the Union Town Board the basis for evaluating these proposals on a case-by-case basis."

A wind energy debate that's turned neighbor against neighbor in Calumet County took a new turn last week through 13 pages prepared by a three-judge panel. A county ordinance that regulated wind turbines is no longer valid, according the state Court of Appeals. Officials said it's too early to tell what the decision will mean to the future of wind energy in Calumet County.

A Wisconsin appeals court is limiting the restrictions that local municipalities can place on the installation of wind turbines. The District 2 Court of Appeals says state law promotes alternative energy sources such as wind energy and discourages local policies that arbitrarily limit them.

A Wisconsin appeals court on Wednesday effectively struck down numerous municipal ordinances that have slowed the development of wind energy, lawyers said. Local governments cannot pass broad rules dictating how far wind turbines must be from other buildings, how tall they can be or how much noise they can produce, the Waukesha-based District 2 Court of Appeals ruled.

The state Public Service Commission voted 3-0 Thursday to approve Wisconsin Power & Light Co.'s proposal to build a 122-turbine wind farm in Minnesota. The project still needs regulatory approval in Minnesota, but Wisconsin commissioners were asked to weigh in to evaluate whether the project was needed and cost-effective for ratepayers.

State regulators plan to vote Thursday on a Wisconsin utility's plans to build a massive wind farm in southern Minnesota. Wisconsin Power & Light Co., a subsidiary of Madison-based Alliant Energy, wants permission to start the first phase of the farm on 32,500 acres just north of Albert Lea in Freeborn County. Plans call for scores of turbines that would generate about 200 megawatts of electricity.