Statement of Michael Vickerman
Executive Director - RENEW Wisconsin
January 31, 2001

Re: FPL Energy's Decision to Withdraw from Addison

The decision by FPL Energy to cancel its proposed wind farm in Addison is most unfortunate, but not surprising, given the many obstacles it has encountered since filing its original permit application in September 1999. FPL's withdrawal came after the Addison Plan Commission voted to impose unreasonably restrictive setbacks on the project at its January 17th meeting.

In RENEW's judgment, the onerous setback requirements—1,000 feet from any residence, structure and public right-of way—go way beyond what are in place at other Wisconsin wind farms, and have no basis in protecting public health and safety. Very few of the wind turbines now operating in this state, including Wisconsin Electric's two turbines in Fond du Lac County along U.S. Highway 41, could be legally sited if they were subject to the patently excessive requirements favored by the Addison Plan Commission.

The Commission cited the possibility of ice throws and blade throws as reasons for extending the setback requirements to 1,000 feet. However, the fact remains that there have been no reported cases of property damage or bodily injury arising from blade throws or ice throws beyond the setback distances proposed by FPL. What is the point, other than driving up project costs beyond what FPL Energy was willing to bear, to increasing setback distances if the presumed threats to public health and safety are in fact nonexistent?

If the intent of these standards was to force FPL to throw up its hands and walk away, the Plan Commission's stratagem succeeded. In doing so, however, it did a disservice to not only the developer but also the townspeople, the majority of whom did not oppose this project. Through its apparent subservience to wind farm opponents, the Plan Commission allowed a self-interested minority to trample over the interests of both the community at large as well as participating landowners.

Notwithstanding the presence of commuter households, Addison is still a rural community, but like many it is struggling to maintain a productive agricultural base in the face of declining agricultural prices and urban sprawl. Wind development on Addison farmland would provide real financial benefits to participating farm families, and FPL Energy was prepared to make a sizable investment into this community. Obviously, the long-term health of Addison's farming community was not uppermost in the Commissioners' minds when they decided to throw yet another costly and time-consuming roadblock along the developer's path. As it turns out, it was one roadblock too many for FPL Energy to overcome.

It's no secret that there is a well-organized group of citizens who object strenuously to this project, led by people who devoted considerable time and energy to harassing FPL Energy and suspected project supporters. Project opponents are fixated on one goal: to derail windpower development in Addison. Toward that end they have employed a variety of hardball tactics-some of which violated state law-to create a stalemate situation for FPL Energy. Their in-your-face tactics succeeded in paralyzing the town government's ability to evaluate and act on the wind farm proposal in a fair and deliberative manner, the Plan Commission's recommended setbacks being the latest and final example.

It's worth pointing out two things about the Addison opposition. The first is that this group does not represent majority opinion in Addison. A recall election held last fall (to fill a vacancy on the Town Board) resulted in the defeat of the candidate unalterably opposed to wind development. Had the opposition-backed candidate prevailed, FPL Energy would have in all likelihood canceled its project the following day.

The second is their total disregard for the legitimate rights of farmers seeking to harvest the wind flowing over their lands. It matters not to them that Wisconsin's state statutes explicitly allows landowners unrestricted access to the energy value of the wind, as long as public health and safety is not impaired. The more important question to wind farm opponents is whether the turbines are visible from their residences. All else, including the public interest, is secondary.

It's a sad state of affairs when a socially responsible proposal cannot get a fair hearing in our state. As much as project opponents wish to deny this reality, renewable energy sources like wind enjoy legislative preference for a variety of sound public policy reasons. FPL Energy came into Wisconsin after the Legislature ordered state utilities to acquire additional supplies of renewable generating capacity. Seeing clean energy as a ticket to a stronger local economy, other Wisconsin communities-like Montfort in Iowa County-welcomed wind development in their midst, and have not regretted it. Their experiences with clean energy development stand in stark contrast to the experience in Addison, where a hostile minority was allowed to run roughshod over the community as a whole.

FPL Energy's departure from Addison marks the end of a sobering and discouraging experience for many in the community, but it does not foreclose the possibility of developing there at some point in the future. The winds blowing over Addison will be as energetic tomorrow as they are today, and interest across the state in developing and purchasing windpower is building. Let us hope that in the future, when responsible developers and participant landowners submit a proposal for wind generation, it will receive a fair and impartial hearing within the community, in accordance with state siting statutes that apply to windpower generation.