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.

How tall is too tall? That's a question the city of Woodbury has been studying and discussing for the last calendar year in relation to an alternative energy ordinance it is expected to vote on this summer that would regulate the size, scope and location of wind turbines in the city limits.

Austin City Council members unanimously approved Monday an ordinance prohibiting the issuance of permits for constructing wind turbines used for generating electricity. The moratorium will give the time needed for city staff to finalize a draft ordinance establishing specific development standards for constructing such towers.

Paul White has a keen interest in the public hearing set for 11 a.m. July 14 before the Clay County Commission, where an ordinance regulating small-scale wind projects will be discussed. White is president of Project Resources Corp., the company behind the Lakeswind Power Plant, a proposed wind farm that would include part of Clay County. ..."It could kill our project,” he said.

A Minnesota Department of Health analysis of possible health effects from wind turbines concludes that annoyance and diminished quality of life are the most frequent complaints from nearby residents. The "white paper," a review of available scientific research, notes that people vary greatly in their sensitivity to noise, with penetrating, low-frequency sounds posing the most problems.

Mike and George they each invested about eighty thousand dollars to put up the 120 foot machines. They got a substantial subsidy from the state and will each get a four thousand dollar tax write off each year. But it's still a big investment. Mike says, "we're looking somewhere into the 8 to twelve years payback time. And there are permits to acquire and a wind assessment that needs to be done.

The proposed New Ulm Wind Project in Nicollet County cleared another hurdle last week.The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission accepted the application of New Ulm Public Utilities to place five wind turbines in Lafayette Township.

The wind industry in Minnesota, which faces greater challenges than a calm day, may need to look into one of the old superstitions for help. The immediate problem in Minnesota, as elsewhere, is not variable access, old transmission systems or storage capacity — all hardy perennials. It is a clogged-up capital market that has frustrated developers of the renewable resource.

As the number of wind turbines scattered along the South Dakota skyline continues to grow, moving the energy they provide out of the state requires a fundamental change. Dusty Johnson of the state Public Utilities Commission puts it simply: A local power transmission system has to become national. Trying to transmit wind power to more populous states is not a new problem. But when federal regulators recently approved generous incentives for a proposed 3,000-mile, high-voltage transmission system, they kept alive a potential solution to at least part of the problem.

About 130 people attended a public information meeting on a proposed 60-megawatt wind farm hosted by the Office of Energy Security (OES) Wednesday evening in Barnesville. ...The purpose of the public information meeting was to answer any questions and to hear opinions on the proposed project, said Larry Hartman, OES project manager. Hartman added that as a member of a neutral government body, he couldn't comment on the nature of the meeting.

There is no guarantee a wind farm construction boom will follow if Wisconsin establishes statewide standards for where such developments can be built. ...With resources available beyond state borders and Alliant employees testifying Wednesday the company projects diminishing opportunities for new generation, opponents could argue more wind turbines in Wisconsin are unnecessary, said Lynda Barry-Kawula, co-founder of the renewable energy group Better Plan Wisconsin.

After a banner year in the U.S. wind power industry, 2009 is whipping up a foul breeze for the nation's Next Big Thing, as the recession and credit crisis continue to buffet renewable energy plans. It's not clear whether the slowdown will hurt Minnesota's No. 4 ranking in wind energy production. Many wind projects already underway in the state still have the green light. But signs of the chill abound, affecting players up and down the clean-tech supply chain.

The latest thing to dot North St. Paul's bare skyline might be an 80-foot pole with three 35-foot blades. Next month, city leaders will consider approving a permit to erect a wind turbine - across the street from homes and City Hall. If all goes well, it could be installed by summer's end, said Wally Wysopal, North St. Paul manager.

CapX2020 foes worry about the environmental and aesthetic impact of extending high-voltage lines on 15-story towers across the Mississippi, a flyway for migratory birds. Jeremy Chipps heads the La Crescent-based Citizens Energy Task Force, which he said may appeal last week's decision by the Public Utilities Commission. Chipps says the task force hasn't picked a preferred river crossing site if the lines are built.

He said that people don't realize that a wind farm is constant maintenance, and to ensure longevity, preventative maintenance is needed. ..."Wind energy is not the complete answer to our energy needs," McNeilus said. "It is a piece of the pie, but you still have to have the whole pie, because there are days when the wind doesn't blow."

Russ Foss has lived on his 500 acre farm, southeast of Kenyon, for more than 42 years. A dairy farmer, Foss has kept busy serving time on the local co-op board and growing crops in his field. But Foss is clear to say that his 500 acres will never be home to what some are calling a "second crop," -- wind energy.

A small plane crashed a year ago near Grand Meadow, killing the pilot, because it didn't have the proper flight instruments for flying in that day's poor weather, a federal agency says. The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering around a wind farm at a low altitude also was a factor.

City council members on April 15 approved amendments to Cottage Grove's two decades-old zoning ordinances that cover wind turbines, establishing more stringent permitting and adding a public hearing requirement for businesses and homeowners interested in harnessing wind power for electricity.

The wind turbine is a symbol of an alternative to an oil-based economy. But on radar, it looks like a storm. That has raised concerns that a proliferation of wind farms could result in the appearance of severe weather where there is none, and even false weather alerts. That collision of weather and wind technology adds some new dimensions to this year's tornado season, which officially kicks off this week with Severe Weather Awareness Week.

Austin Democrats are hammering out a compromise with party leadership that would boost wind tax revenue for townships at the expense of school districts. Reps. Robin Brown and Jeanne Poppe have been fighting to restore a wind tax benefit for schools set to expire on July 1. Last year, Minnesota schools received $146,000 from the wind energy production tax.