The Wisconsin State Senate passed a bill Tuesday to create uniform citing standards for wind power projects in the state.

Sen. Jeff Plale, D-South Milwaukee, chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Utilities, Energy and Rail, introduced the bill in May as part of a recommendation from Gov. Jim Doyle’s task force on global warming, according to Plale spokesperson Kevin Brady.

“The current system is that the local governments can control the standards,” Brady said.

Under the new bill, the Public Service Commission will establish the common standards for local governments to regulate the construction and function of wind energy operations. The PSC regulations may include visual appearance, setback distance, electrical connections to the power grid and interference with radio, telephone or television signals.

The bill also specifies any person with a complaint about a wind energy system that is one megawatt or larger can go before the PSC to voice their concerns. If the citizen is unhappy with the PSC’s decision, he or she can appeal to the relevant circuit court.

Brady said over 600 megawatts in wind power projects have been wasted due to restrictive local policies. He said the new policies will attract more involvement in wind power and create more jobs.

He added the bill received bipartisan support in the Senate and will go before the Assembly Thursday. Brady said he is confident the Assembly will quickly pass the bill and Doyle will sign the bill into law.

Senate Minority Leader Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, was one of five Republicans to vote in favor of the bill.

“[Fitzgerald] is supportive of alternative energy, and the wind citing bill will make it easier to have wind turbines built in the state,” Fitzgerald spokesperson Kimber Liedl said.

Nine Republicans voted against the bill, including Sen. Neal Kedzie, R-Elkhorn.

“My primary concern is the issue of shortchanging local control,” Kedzie said. “These are very contentious issues when you get into deciding any large utility and the bill limits how a local municipality can deny applications.”

According to Kedzie, a former town chairman, he is not against wind power, but the bill seems to throw out local land use planning. He added this bill is much better than a similar bill drafted last year because it takes wildlife factors, like bird migration, into consideration.

Kedzie also said he is not sure if wind power will ever serve as a major source of supplemental energy, but said technological advances could eventually enrich output.

He added because most wind turbines will be in rural setting the state needs to be able to engage the power of the electorate in its decision making.

The Coalition for Wisconsin Environmental Stewardship, a grassroots group advocating responsible placement of wind turbines, said the bill has numerous problems including a lack of local government power to investigate and rectify problems and no protection for landowners’ property right.