GOP lawmakers recently circulated a bill that would require developers to get signoff from each city, village and town in which a solar or wind project would be built before they could seek approval from the PSC.
Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, and Rep. Travis Tranel, R-Cuba City last week sent a co-sponsorship memo to other lawmakers on the bill.
They argue the legislation “reaffirms local control by empowering local municipalities and their elected officials by providing them a seat at the table when it comes to the approval of large-scale solar and wind projects.”
Under current law, building a large electric generating facility requires the state Public Service Commission to grant a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the proposed project, the memo shows. The bill would amend the approval process for solar and wind farms to include getting approval from the local municipality where it would be located.
Municipalities would have to adopt a resolution to approve or disapprove the project “no later than 90 days” after getting a request for approval, according to the memo, though the bill allows for that deadline to be extended. If the municipality didn’t vote in favor or against the proposal, the PSC could consider the project approved, the lawmakers wrote.
While current law “limits the authority” of subdivisions to regulate solar and wind energy projects, the bill would keep those limitations from applying to approval or disapproval of wind and solar projects by cities, towns or villages.
Marklein and Tranel say residents of rural areas and their local elected officials “have felt ignored” when raising concerns about large utility projects being built in their area. They note large-scale utility projects “have an enormous impact” on rural communities, ranging from environmental and groundwater effects to infrastructure and roads.
See the Association of Wisconsin Lobbyists’ summary of last week’s bills circulated, including a link to the co-sponsorship memo.
