Why isn’t Goodhue County appealing???
Honorable Goodhue County Commissioners,
Wind energy development is no miracle cure to global warming or foreign oil. Wind technology comes with its own risks and benefits. It takes control of huge areas of land to collect this energy. Everyone in the area will be affected. Goodhue County’s ten-rotor setback from non-participants is a common sense standard that will help protect neighboring property values and prevent some of the worst problems from wind development. We all worked hard to achieve this limited measure of protection. The work to insure that our local ordinance is not ignored is an ongoing legal battle taking place at the state level. Goodhue County’s failure to appeal the PUC’s decision not to enforce the ten-rotor setback from non-participants risks our property values and even our health.
Commissioner Bryant has stated that by appealing we could lose the PUC’s acknowledgment that we have a right to specify our own setbacks. A valid concern, which I share, however our right to establish our own setbacks was not granted by the Minnesota PUC. That right is granted to us by state statute.
Commissioner Rechtzigel’s argument was that this fight has gone on long enough. That Goodhue County should not oppose the state, which wants CapX2020 and wind turbines in Goodhue County, and if we do not end this fight here and now then where will it ever end? In response to Commissioner Rechtzigel’s arguments, I say if you do not enforce our ordinance wind developers will cover every acre of Goodhue County they can sign with wind turbines, having the CapX2020 transmission line here will make this prime wind development territory. Without setbacks that protect the established residential uses, rural property values will be devastated. Local ownership of wind development projects in conjunction with adequate health and safety setbacks could mitigate most of these concerns. Goodhue County should insist upon true C-Bed projects, which would bring tens of millions of dollars of revenue to local owners as opposed to mere thousands of dollars in wind lease payments.
Commissioner Samuelson since you did not appear, you did not weigh in on this issue. You owe the citizens of your district your vote on this issue. Times are changing, the county must be aggressive to minimize local damage and maximize local gains.
Commissioner Seifert and Commissioner Allen thank you for supporting Goodhue County’s Wind Turbine ordinance and county residents. Commissioner Bryant, Commissioner Rechtzigel, and Commissioner Samuelson, any of you could make a motion to reconsider the failed motion to appeal. This should not end with an indecisive surrender by the Goodhue County Board. Goodhue County has been out maneuvered those that would take our resources and diminish our county. The county’s lack of participation in the appeal process unfairly burdens local citizens. Please appeal the PUC’s decision to ignore our legal wind turbine ordinance.
Rick Conrad 21 Nov 2011
