New Ulm PUC wind farm controversy continues

About 100 people showed up Monday, February 16 at the St. George Parish Center when the New Ulm Public Utilities Commission held a listening session to hear concerns of local property owners. This was the first public meeting held in Nicoillet County by the PUC about the controversial wind farm project.

The evening started with about 45 minutes of informative presentations about the project and another wind farm project. Trimont area farmer Neal Von Ohlen presented information about his experience with wind turbines and addressed some concerns, including the flicker effect.

Von Ohlen stated that the flicker effect is present on his property only about one month of the year. He also pointed out that he has easily gotten used to the noise associated with the turbines and that he has seen no health side effects in his experience, no issues with radio or television reception, and no proof of increase or decrease in land values.

After Von Ohlen's presentation, he took questions from the audience. It was difficult, however, for him to pinpoint his answers, as most questions inquired about New Ulm's project, and not the one in which he is involved.

There seemed to be an aura of frustration as some had hoped their questions would be responded to at the meeting.

However, this was not the format the PUC chose to follow. PUC officials, instead, only listened and stated that they would respond to questions and concerns at a later time.

"Rather than it appearing that the PUC was trying to convert the skeptics, the PUC felt it was appropriate for area residents to have their say without having to engage in debate," New Ulm Utilities Planning and Development Engineer Patrick Wrase stated in an email to the Ledger after the meeting.

He went on, "The opponents of this project have painted themselves into a political corner and would ‘lose face' if they accepted the logic of the PUC's reasoned responses to their baseless claims. Thus no answer would have been sufficient to satisfy them and quell their fears. They are simply beyond rational dialogue. For those with legitimate questions and concerns, they are entitled to reasoned and thoughtful responses after their concerns have been duly considered and studied. There are so many technical issues involved in a project like this that an ‘off-the-cuff' response would risk misleading or misinforming, and the PUC has no desire to do that."

Area resident Dan Wendinger produced a timeline of how the project got to where it is today, and provided a letter that showed what project opponents called a clear threat of eminent domain. Some opponents believe that fear of losing land is the only reason why any of the three landowners in lease agreement with New Ulm signed those leases.

"They negotiated a lease rather than lose a portion of their property," Wendinger claimed.

Jeff Franta, an active opponent to the PUC's wind farm project, which seeks to place three wind turbines in close proximity to his property, asked those present to "keep in mind that this is the very first public meeting held," and reminded them that a "project of this magnitude needs large public support to be successful." He also pointed out that none of the three landowners who have signed leases with New Ulm for use of their land were present at the meeting.

Other opponents also spoke at the meeting. Kim Schwab reiterated documented health effects that had been presented at an earlier Nicollet County Board meeting, and also voiced concern about the unwelcome presence of four-wheelers on her property.

Wrase assured the Ledger that access to properties under lease to the PUC for planning purposes was obtained only from public rights-of-way or via other property under lease to the PUC.

"The PUC requires all of its consultants and contractors to strictly respect all private property rights," Wrase wrote in an email to the Ledger. "The trespassing described by Mrs. Schwab is on property described as a township road according to Nicollet County records."

A consolation for opponents of the project might be an increase in property line setbacks for the wind turbines. The current setback in Nicollet County is 750 feet, but some residents would like to see that number doubled. Nancy Reinhart read a portion of a safety manual for wind turbines, which states to stay 1,300 feet away from the turbines.

The PUC hopes to have responses to concerns raised at the meeting ready and mailed to area residents within the coming weeks. For some opponents, though, answers may never come, as Wrase stated that there will be no response from the PUC to the presentations made by those he calls "the radicals."

"The PUC looks to the future of this project and will not engage in a debate about how things got to this point. When the PUC has had an opportunity to develop reasoned and factual responses to other questions that were legitimate, responses will be given," Wrase stated in his email.