The public hearing for the National Wind/AWA Goodhue Wind Project was held this past week in Goodhue, MN. One session on July 21 was scheduled. However, due to the number of people who chose to speak at this public hearing, Administrative Law Judge Eric Lipman extended the public hearing to July 22. These sessions ran long (3 PM-10:30 PM) on both days. I am guessing that approximately 100 people got up to comment, most of which opposed this wind project and others slated for Goodhue County.
At this public hearing, it was noted that the two-mile wind buffers requested by the City of Zumbrota and the City of Goodhue likely will NOT be honored by the wind farm developers. Both cities have requested these wind buffers to allow for future economic expansion and long-term plans. Both cities have invested taxpayers' monies--Goodhue to create residential housing and Zumbrota to extend sewer and water to the west side of U.S. Highway 52 and nearby land for development.
Earlier this year in April, the City of Zumbrota City Council voted 3-2 (Bauer and Hinderaker voted yes) to allow National Wind/AWA Goodhue Wind to encroach on the two-mile wind buffer near Zumbrota. City Council members Nygaard, Grothe, and Borgschatz voted the request down. Unfortunately, National Wind/AWA Goodhue Wind doesn't take "no" for an answer. There are multiple wind turbines (4 inside the wind buffer and 7 very near the wind buffer) sited in or near Zumbrota on the preliminary municipal wind buffer map submitted by National Wind/AWA Goodhue Wind, LLC.
Leia Ryan, a member of the Goodhue City Council, was quoted, "We (Goodhue) could be landlocked, and that's where cities begin to die off."
To speak with someone on the street, most people think the wind turbines are a good thing as they will provide clean, "green" electricity that will lower our electricity rates. This is not true. The wind does NOT blow all the time. When the wind turbines are not spinning and producing electricity, it is required to have a backup coal-fired plant or a natural gas-fired plant. These plants cannot be turned on and off like a light switch. These plants need to remain running to fill in the gaps when the wind does not blow. So, in essence, you are keeping the backup running at all times in case the wind turbines cannot provide the electricity.
If National Wind/AWA Goodhue Wind is NOT listening, I hope you are! There is still time to voice your opinion. Even if you are not in the footprint of this wind farm project, you may write via e-mail or U.S. postal mail your comments by August 6, 2010, 4:30 PM. That is the cutoff when it must arrive--not postdated:
Eric Lipman
Office of Administrative Hearings
P.O. Box 64620
St. Paul, MN 55164-0620
or eric.lipman@state.mn.us
Please refer to: AWA Goodhue Wind--Certificate of Need and Siting Docket, PUC Certificate of Need Docket: IP-6701/CN-09-1186 and PUC Siting Docket: IP-6701/WS-08-1233.
Please take the time to write. One voice can become many.
Barbara A. Stussy
14884 420th Street
Zumbrota, MN 55992
507-732-5115
barbstussy@hcinet.net
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