MADISON - Invenergy Wind LLC reported Tuesday that it's pleased with a Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision that will allow the $250 million Forward Wind Energy Center to proceed. The appellate court on July 25 affirmed a decision by the Dodge County Circuit Court to uphold the ruling by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin on the 50-square-mile wind farm in northern Dodge and southern Fond du Lac counties. "We are very excited about our first wind energy project in Wisconsin moving ahead," said Kevin Smith, senior vice president of Chicago-based Invenergy Wind. He said construction will probably begin within six months. Joe Breaden, president of Horicon Marsh Systems Advocates, a group opposing the wind farm project, said the appellate court decision wasn't unexpected. "Anytime you pit something in the environment against big money, big money's going to win," he said. "Historically that's the way it goes. We can help the environment (and) we can help the planet, but we really don't care to because the dollar sign gets in the way."
MADISON - Invenergy Wind LLC reported Tuesday that it's pleased with a Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision that will allow the $250 million Forward Wind Energy Center to proceed. The appellate court on July 25 affirmed a decision by the Dodge County Circuit Court to uphold the ruling by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin on the 50-square-mile wind farm in northern Dodge and southern Fond du Lac counties. "We are very excited about our first wind energy project in Wisconsin moving ahead," said Kevin Smith, senior vice president of Chicago-based Invenergy Wind. He said construction will probably begin within six months. Joe Breaden, president of Horicon Marsh Systems Advocates, a group opposing the wind farm project, said the appellate court decision wasn't unexpected. "Anytime you pit something in the environment against big money, big money's going to win," he said. "Historically that's the way it goes. We can help the environment (and) we can help the planet, but we really don't care to because the dollar sign gets in the way."
MADISON - Invenergy Wind LLC reported Tuesday that it's pleased with a Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision that will allow the $250 million Forward Wind Energy Center to proceed.
The appellate court on July 25 affirmed a decision by the Dodge County Circuit Court to uphold the ruling by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin on the 50-square-mile wind farm in northern Dodge and southern Fond du Lac counties.
"We are very excited about our first wind energy project in Wisconsin moving ahead," said Kevin Smith, senior vice president of Chicago-based Invenergy Wind.
He said construction will probably begin within six months.
Joe Breaden, president of Horicon Marsh Systems Advocates, a group opposing the wind farm project, said …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]MADISON - Invenergy Wind LLC reported Tuesday that it's pleased with a Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision that will allow the $250 million Forward Wind Energy Center to proceed.
The appellate court on July 25 affirmed a decision by the Dodge County Circuit Court to uphold the ruling by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin on the 50-square-mile wind farm in northern Dodge and southern Fond du Lac counties.
"We are very excited about our first wind energy project in Wisconsin moving ahead," said Kevin Smith, senior vice president of Chicago-based Invenergy Wind.
He said construction will probably begin within six months.
Joe Breaden, president of Horicon Marsh Systems Advocates, a group opposing the wind farm project, said the appellate court decision wasn't unexpected.
"Anytime you pit something in the environment against big money, big money's going to win," he said. "Historically that's the way it goes. We can help the environment (and) we can help the planet, but we really don't care to because the dollar sign gets in the way."
The appellate court upheld the circuit court ruling that the PSC on July 14, 2005, properly issued the Certificate of Public Convenience & Necessity for the Foward Wind Energy Center that would allow up to 133 wind turbines to be built in the Brownsville area.
Dodge County Circuit Court Judge John Storck on March 23, 2006, affirmed the initial decision by the PSC to approve the Forward Wind Energy Center by dismissing a petition for review from HMS Advocates.
Storck ruled that the decision to approve the wind farm lies with the PSC and not the court system. He cited the state Supreme Court case of Clean Wisconsin vs. PSC of Wisconsin from June 2005. It involved a coal-burning power plant in Oak Creek and established the precedent that circuit courts should give great deference to rulings by the PSC. Storck called the Forward Wind Energy Center another type of power plant.
Neil Palmer, former public affairs consultant for Invenergy Wind, said the wind farm could generate up to 200 megawatts of electricity to about 70,000 average-sized homes for one year.
HMS Advocates, in its petition for review filed on Sept. 29, 2005, urged the court system to remand the approval of the Forward Wind Energy Center to the PSC for further review.
It also requested that Invenergy Wind conduct an in-depth, three-year bird study and build the wind farm five miles away from the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge.
Breaden said HMS Advocates will continue its fight against the Forward Wind Energy Center.
"This is still the United States of America and we do have options left," he said. "We're not done by any means."