State regulators declined to reopen a debate over the location of four new wind turbines in east-central North Dakota, saying they had already considered a neighboring landowner's arguments that they should be moved. The state Public Service Commission on Monday agreed to ask the project's developer, NextEra Energy Resources, if it would be practical ...in moving the turbines to alternative locations nearby.

Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, is asking the North Dakota Public Service Commission to reconsider its approval of several turbine locations for a wind farm near Luverne to accommodate concerns from neighbors. In a letter sent last week, Mathern asked the commission to consider imposing longer setback requirements for four turbines located near a bed-and-breakfast as well as a dogsled operation.

State regulators approved the location of a new wind farm in east-central North Dakota despite complaints from some nearby residents about potential disruptions from turbine noise. The North Dakota Public Service Commission on Wednesday said one of the project's 80 wind turbines must use an alternative location to avoid disturbing a rural bed-and-breakfast business.

The Stutsman County Commission approved a zoning ordinance concerning commercial wind farms during its regular July meeting Tuesday. The ordinance passed unanimously after four amendments were made to the document prepared over the past nine months by the Stutsman County Zoning and Planning Commission.

A Minnesota-based utility company intends to install 33 wind turbines in south-central North Dakota within the next two years. In mid-June, Minnesota Power applied for a special use permit to install 17 wind turbines in Morton County. A permit application is pending for 16 others in Oliver County.

Now the Public Service Commission requires at least 1,400 feet between a tower and an occupied dwelling. It's meant to protect the property owner from noise and shadows, and a possible tower collapse. Commission President Kevin Cramer says the minimum distance is not formally spelled out in state rules.

The Bismarck Planning and Zoning Commission this week tabled action for a draft wind turbine ordinance in city limits and its extra-territorial zone. City planner Gregg Greenquist, tasked with creating the ordinance with a committee, said the new draft was conservative in terms of sound levels and aesthetics. He expects as technology evolved, it would be amended.

Energy companies discovered long ago that the abundant wind in North Dakota could be harvested to produce electricity. Now, many homeowners in Bismarck are trying to get in on the action, too. That`s why the city held a meeting Wednesday evening on a proposed wind turbine ordinance.

The subcommittee of the Stutsman County Zoning and Planning Commission has completed its work on a proposed zoning ordinance concerning commercial wind farms in the county. Now the debate moves on to the full zoning and planning commission ..."The two big items for the full board to make a decision on are the fees and the setbacks," said Noel Johnson, Stutsman County chief operating officer and a zoning administrator.

The Stutsman County Commission heard information from one of the leading wind farm developers in the nation during its regular meeting Tuesday. ...A principle point of contention in the proposed Stutsman County wind zoning ordinance is a requirement that all wind turbines be set back a distance of five rotor diameters from property lines unless neighboring property owners have signed waivers.

The subcommittee of the Stutsman County Planning and Zoning Commission continued work on a zoning ordinance to regulate commercial wind farms in the county Thursday. In what was intended to be the final meeting of the subcommittee, it made changes regarding safety issues concerning meteorological towers, placed a decibel limit on the noise generated by the turbine, added a cap on the site application fee, removed expiration dates for site authority and defined road testing.

Members of a subcommittee of the Stutsman County Zoning Board took another step toward creating the first county wind farm zoning ordinance in North Dakota. The group met Thursday and discussed definitions and policies of the planned ordinance. "The county is not looking to manage locations as far as tower to tower," said Fritz Fremgen, Stutsman County state's attorney. "We are looking to create a setback between occupied structures and property boundaries."

A Stutsman County Zoning Board subcommittee is continuing its work to draft a wind zoning ordinance. During a meeting Thursday it heard presentations from Kevin Cramer, public service commissioner for North Dakota, and people involved with the wind industry. Of concern to the subcommittee is the issue of setbacks or the distance that wind turbines must be from the property of others not involved in the project and the distance that wind turbines must be from occupied structures.

Fremgen said by increasing the setback from landowners not under contract you force the wind farm developer to get contracts from any landowner that would be close enough to the turbine to have their wind resource affected. "The other issue is roads," Johnson said. "These towers take about 360 tons of concrete and are put up with 280-ton cranes. The companies always reassure the people that they will recondition the roads but how do we make sure?" The board agreed to continue with the development of an ordinance.

A public hearing on wind facilities is slated for 5:30 p.m. Thursday before the Morton County Planning and Zoning Board at the commission room of the Morton County Courthouse. In preparation for the meeting, a Planning and Zoning Subcommittee sifted through a wind generator policy and the application process this week. According to County Auditor Paul Trauger, no applications for wind facilities have been received for generators, but there have been five inquiries.

The Public Service Commission, which regulates and approved the wind farm's associated transmission line, could end up fining the company as much as $200,000, said commissioner Susan Wefald, president of the commission. ...The order approving the line said the company would have to ask for permission to move any towers. In June, the company notified the PSC it had changed the location of about 50 of the 102 towers without seeking formal approval for the changes from the agency. "For a company to just ignore that is unfortunate," Wefald said after the PSC's Wednesday morning meeting. "Our orders include requirements that are important to meet."

After three years of waiting, the Rugby community is looking forward to construction of a 149-megawatt wind farm. The North Dakota Public Service Commission approved the re-siting of turbines east of Rugby for Iberdrola Renewables, formerly PPM Energy, Wednesday in Bismarck. ...Iberdrola plans to move forward with the project regardless of the status of any agreement for purchase of the power. ...it appears the company is willing to commit to building even if it means selling the power on the open market

State regulators are planning a hearing next month on a proposed 368-megawatt wind farm in south central North Dakota. The project is called Just Wind. It includes 160 wind towers in Logan County, near the community of Napoleon.

The PSC reissued state certificates Wednesday to Iberdola Renewables Inc. to take over the Rugby Wind farm project from PPM Energy. PPM got the original certificates in 2005 to build 100 turbines that would put out 150 megawatts of wind power near Rugby. Iberdola proposes to 71 larger turbines, which would still put out 150 megawatts. Construction is to start around Oct. 1.