GREEN BAY, Wis., Jan. 2 Property owners in Wisconsin are suing Calumet County in a dispute over their wind turbine ordinance.
A federal court will hear the lawsuit brought by 24 property owners, the Appleton Post-Crescent reported.
The county's ordinance on wind turbines was amended in October requiring 1,000 feet between turbines and homes, schools and churches.
The plaintiffs oppose the wind turbines and are arguing that the county's ordinance is unconstitutional because it does not include businesses and therefore does not protect all property owners equally.
Several wind farm developers are interested in putting up 150 400-foot turbines. Gauged at 110 feet, wind speeds are between 13 and 14 mph.
The proposed projects would power approximately 25,000 homes.
Some developers say they are not fazed by the lawsuit and it will not affect the siting and design process which could take up to two years.
The suit came way before we were even proposing a specific project, said Wes Slaymaker, an engineer for EcoEnergy LLC. "They (the plaintiffs) don ' t even know where they might be. If the projects are approved, landowners could earn thousands of dollars for renting their land for turbine sites. Also, wind farms would bring in revenue for the local governments.
A scheduling conference between the parties and U.S. District Judge William C. Griesbach is set for Jan. 19 in Green Bay, Wis.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
