Chapter PSC 128

PSC 128.35(2) (2) Review limited.

PSC 128.35(2)(a) (a) A political subdivision that receives an application for a material change to a wind energy system under sub. (1) (b) may not reopen the merits of the earlier approval but shall consider only those issues relevant to the proposed change.

PSC 128.35(2)(b) (b) An application for a material change is subject to ss. PSC 128.30 (1), (3) to (5), (6) (a) and (b), and (7) and 128.31 to 128.34.

PSC 128.35(2)(c) (c) An application for a material change shall contain information necessary to understand the material change.

PSC 128.35(2)(d) (d) A political subdivision may hold at least one public meeting to obtain comments on and to inform the public about a proposed material change to an approved wind energy system.

PSC 128.35 History History: CR 10-057: cr. Register February 2011 No. 662, eff. 3-1-11.

PSC 128.36 PSC 128.36 Monitoring compliance.

PSC 128.36(1) (1) Monitoring procedure. A political subdivision may establish a procedure to monitor compliance by the owner with any condition on an approved wind energy system or to assess when wind energy system facilities are not maintained in good repair and operating condition. The procedure may include timelines, provide for payment of reasonable fees for conducting an assessment, and provide for notification to the public.

PSC 128.36(2) (2) Third-party inspector during construction. A political subdivision may require an owner to pay a reasonable fee for a third-party inspector to monitor and report to the political subdivision regarding the owner’s compliance with permit requirements during construction. An inspector monitoring compliance under this subsection shall also report to a state permitting authority upon the state permitting authority’s request.

PSC 128.36 History History: CR 10-057: cr. Register February 2011 No. 662, eff. 3-1-11.

subch. IV of ch. PSC 128 Subchapter IV — Complaints

PSC 128.40 PSC 128.40 Complaint process.

PSC 128.40(1) (1) Making a complaint.

PSC 128.40(1)(a) (a) An aggrieved person may make a complaint regarding failure by an owner to comply with an obligation under this chapter or an ordinance adopted under this chapter.

PSC 128.40(1)(b) (b) A complaint under par. (a) shall be made first to the owner of the wind energy system pursuant to a complaint resolution process developed by the owner.

PSC 128.40(1)(c) (c) A complainant may petition the political subdivision for review of a complaint that is not resolved within 45 days of the day the owner receives the original complaint.

PSC 128.40(1)(d) (d) A political subdivision’s decision under par. (c) is subject to review under s. 66.0401 (5), Stats.

PSC 128.40(2) (2) Complaint resolution.

PSC 128.40(2)(a) (a) An owner shall use reasonable efforts to resolve complaints regarding a wind energy system and shall investigate complaints regarding a wind energy system at the owner’s expense.

PSC 128.40(2)(b) (b) Upon receipt of a complaint, an owner shall provide the complainant with a copy of the notice described in s. PSC 128.42 (1). Within 30 days of receiving a complaint, an owner shall provide an initial response to the complainant.

PSC 128.40(2)(c) (c) An owner shall make a good faith effort to resolve complaints within 45 days of receiving a complaint. An owner shall notify a political subdivision of complaints that have not been resolved within 45 days of the date the owner received the original complaint.

PSC 128.40(2)(d) (d) An owner shall maintain a log of all complaints received regarding the wind energy system. The owner shall include in the log the name and address of each complainant, the nature of each complaint, and the steps taken to resolve each complaint. An owner shall provide a copy of a complaint log monthly, at no cost, either to a monitoring committee established under s. PSC 128.41 or, if a monitoring committee has not been established, to the political subdivision. An owner shall make any complaint log available to the commission upon request.

PSC 128.40(2)(e) (e) An owner shall develop a complaint resolution process that is consistent with this subsection.

PSC 128.40 History History: CR 10-057: cr. Register February 2011 No. 662, eff. 3-1-11.

PSC 128.41 PSC 128.41 Monitoring committee.

PSC 128.41(1) (1) Committee. Except as provided in sub. (3), a political subdivision may establish a monitoring committee to oversee resolution of complaints regarding a wind energy system. A monitoring committee shall include on the committee a member who is a local employee of an owner of a wind energy system and, if in existence, at least one nonparticipating landowner residing in the political subdivision within 0.5 mile of a wind turbine that is located in the political subdivision.

PSC 128.41(2) (2) Duties. A monitoring committee established under sub. (1) may do any of the following:

PSC 128.41(2)(a) (a) Maintain a record of all complaints brought to it.

PSC 128.41(2)(b) (b) Require the owner to provide the committee with information regarding the owner’s response to any complaint forwarded to the owner by the committee.

PSC 128.41(2)(c) (c) Recommend to the political subdivision a reasonable resolution to a complaint based upon the information gathered by the committee.

PSC 128.41(3) (3) Multiple jurisdictions. If a wind energy system is located in more than one political subdivision with jurisdiction over the wind energy system and multiple political subdivisions decide to establish a monitoring committee, the political subdivisions shall jointly establish a single monitoring committee to oversee resolution of complaints regarding the wind energy system.

PSC 128.41 History History: CR 10-057: cr. Register February 2011 No. 662, eff. 3-1-11.

PSC 128.42 PSC 128.42 Notice to property owners and residents.

PSC 128.42(1) (1) Notice of process for making complaints. Before construction of a wind energy system begins, an owner shall provide written notice of the process for making complaints and obtaining mitigation measures to all residents and landowners within 0.5 mile of any wind energy system facility. An owner shall include in the notice the requirements under s. PSC 128.40 (1) for submitting a complaint to the owner, a petition for review to the political subdivision, and an appeal to the commission, and shall include a contact person and telephone number for the owner for receipt of complaints or concerns during construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning.

PSC 128.42(2) (2) Notice to political subdivision. An owner shall provide a copy of the notice under sub. (1) to any political subdivision with jurisdiction over the wind energy system, and the owner shall keep the contact person and telephone number current and on file with the political subdivision.

PSC 128.42 History History: CR 10-057: cr. Register February 2011 No. 662, eff. 3-1-11.

subch. V of ch. PSC 128 Subchapter V — Commission Procedure

PSC 128.50 PSC 128.50 Standards established by the commission.

PSC 128.50(1) (1) Detailed application filing requirements. The commission shall establish detailed application filing requirements for applications filed for political subdivision review of a wind energy system, which shall contain a detailed description of the information required to satisfy the filing requirements for applications under s. PSC 128.30 (2). The commission may revise these requirements as necessary. The commission shall make the filing requirements available to the public on the commission’s website.

PSC 128.50(2) (2) Commission protocols.

PSC 128.50(2)(a) (a) The commission may periodically create and revise measurement, compliance, and testing protocols as needed to provide standards for evaluating compliance with this chapter. These protocols may be created and revised to reflect current industry practice, changes in the state of the art, and implementation of new technologies. The commission may make protocols under this subsection available to the public on the commission’s website.

PSC 128.50(2)(b) (b) The commission may establish protocols in any of the following areas:

PSC 128.50(2)(b)1. 1. Noise measurement, compliance and mitigation.

PSC 128.50(2)(b)2. 2. Stray voltage testing and remediation.

PSC 128.50(2)(b)3. 3. Shadow flicker compliance and mitigation.

PSC 128.50(2)(b)4. 4. Communications interference testing and mitigation.

PSC 128.50(2)(b)5. 5. Other areas where protocols are appropriate.

PSC 128.50 History History: CR 10-057: cr. Register February 2011 No. 662, eff. 3-1-11.

PSC 128.51 PSC 128.51 Commission review.

PSC 128.51(1) (1) Appeals to the commission. An appeal under s. 66.0401 (5) (b), Stats., shall be treated as a petition to open a docket under s. PSC 2.07, except the time provisions of that section do not apply.

PSC 128.51(2) (2) Petitioner filing requirements. An aggrieved person under s. 66.0401 (5) (a), Stats., may file a petition with the commission. The petition shall be submitted to the commission in writing or filed using the commission’s electronic filing system and shall contain all of the following:

PSC 128.51(2)(a) (a) The petitioner’s name, address, and telephone number.

PSC 128.51(2)(b) (b) The name, address, and telephone number of the political subdivision that is the subject of the petition.

PSC 128.51(2)(c) (c) A description of the wind energy system that is the subject of the petition.

PSC 128.51(2)(d) (d) A description of the petitioner’s relationship to the wind energy system.

PSC 128.51(2)(e) (e) The information specified in s. PSC 2.07 (2).

PSC 128.51(3) (3) Political subdivision filing requirements.

PSC 128.51(3)(a) (a) A political subdivision shall file a certified copy of the information required under s. 66.0401 (5) (c), Stats., using the commission’s electronic regulatory filing system.

PSC 128.51(3)(b) (b) The commission may require the political subdivision to file up to 5 paper copies of the record upon which it based its decision.

PSC 128.51(3)(c) (c) The commission may require the political subdivision to file additional information.

PSC 128.51(4) (4) Service and notice.

PSC 128.51(4)(a) (a) An owner submitting a petition under sub. (2) (intro.) shall serve a copy of the petition on the political subdivision and on any other person specified in s. PSC 2.07 (3).

PSC 128.51(4)(b) (b) Any person other than an owner submitting a petition under sub. (2) (intro.) shall serve a copy of the petition on the owner, the political subdivision, and any other person specified in s. PSC 2.07 (3).

PSC 128.51(4)(c) (c) A political subdivision that is subject to a petition under sub. (2) shall make a copy of the petition available for public inspection and, in the manner in which it is required to publish notice of a public meeting, publish notice of that petition.

PSC 128.51(5) (5) Commission hearing discretionary. The commission may review a petition under this section with or without a hearing.

PSC 128.51(6) (6) Environmental analysis. A docket opened to review a petition under this section is a Type III action under s. PSC 4.10 (3).

PSC 128.51(7) (7) Remand to political subdivision.

PSC 128.51(7)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), if the commission remands any issue to the political subdivision, the political subdivision’s review on remand shall be completed in a time frame established by the commission in its remand order.

PSC 128.51(7)(b) (b) If the commission determines that a political subdivision has not yet reviewed an application that is complete, and the commission remands the application to the political subdivision for review, the political subdivision’s review shall be completed within the time frame provided for reviewing a complete application under this chapter and s. 66.0401 (4) (d) and (e), Stats., beginning with the day after the day on which the commission issues its remand order.

PSC 128.51 History History: CR 10-057: cr. Register February 2011 No. 662, eff. 3-1-11.

subch. VI of ch. PSC 128 Subchapter VI — Small Wind Energy Systems

PSC 128.60 PSC 128.60 Exemptions from this chapter. All of the provisions in this chapter apply to a small wind energy system except ss. PSC 128.14 (4) (d), 128.15 (1) (c), (3) (b) to (e), and (5), 128.16 (2) to (4), 128.18 (1) (g), (2) (b) and (c), (3) (am), (b) and (c), and (4) (b) to (f), 128.19 (1) (c) to (e), (3), and (4), 128.30 (2) (L) and (m), 128.33 (1) to (3m) and (5), 128.34 (3), 128.36, 128.40 (2) (b) to (e), 128.41, and 128.42.

PSC 128.60 History History: CR 10-057: cr. Register February 2011 No. 662, eff. 3-1-11; correction made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register February 2011 No. 662.

PSC 128.61 PSC 128.61 Modifications to this chapter. The following provisions in this chapter are modified to apply to a small wind energy system as follows:

PSC 128.61(1) (1) Notice. Under s. PSC 128.105 (1), the notice shall be filed at least 60 days before an owner files an application to construct a small wind energy system and the notice shall be provided only to adjacent landowners and the political subdivisions with jurisdiction over the small wind energy system.

PSC 128.61(2) (2) Land use. Section PSC 128.12 (1) applies only to existing land uses and enterprises that are located on adjacent nonparticipating properties.

PSC 128.61(3) (3) Setback distances. In s. PSC 128.13 (1):

PSC 128.61(3)(a) (a) Table 1 is replaced with Table 2.

PSC 128.61(3)(b) (b) The owner of an adjacent nonparticipating residence or adjacent occupied community building may waive the applicable turbine setback distances in Table 2.

PSC 128.61(4) (4) Noise. Under s. PSC 128.14 (6) (b), an owner shall provide notice of the requirements of s. PSC 128.14 only to each adjacent nonparticipating residence or occupied community building before the initial operation of the small wind energy system.

PSC 128.61(5) (5) Useful life. Under s. PSC 128.19 (1), a small wind energy system is presumed to be at the end of its useful life if it generates no electricity for a continuous 540-day period.

PSC 128.61(6) (6) Effects on land uses. Under s. PSC 128.30 (2) (g), the information regarding the anticipated effects of the small wind energy system on existing land uses shall only be for parcels adjacent to the wind energy system.

PSC 128.61(7) (7) Application notice. Under s. PSC 128.30 (5) (a), written notice of the filing of the application shall be provided only to property owners and residents located adjacent to the small wind energy system.

PSC 128.61(8) (8) Meetings. Under s. PSC 128.30 (6) (c), a political subdivision may hold at least one public meeting to obtain comments on and to inform the public about a proposed small wind energy system.

PSC 128.61 History History: CR 10-057: cr. Register February 2011 No. 662, eff. 3-1-11.