This afternoon the Senate Energy & Technology Committee heard testimony on Senate Bills 1123 and 1124, legislation that would prohibit a wind turbine that properly complies with local zoning and siting regulations from being a nuisance.

The legislation would also allow an action for a nuisance based on a wind energy system’s noncompliance to be brought only by those people with respect to whom the violation occurred.

The bill would also require the Public Service Commission (PSC) to adopt the most recent version of the guidelines for siting wind energy systems published by the Michigan State University (MSU) Extension after the bill’s effective date, if the updated version would protect human health and safety and the environment and promote the cost-effective generation of electricity from wind.

The League is opposed to this legislation on local control grounds. The committee did not vote on the legislation.

Samantha Harkins is the Director of State Affairs for the League handling municipal finance issues.  She can be reached at sharkins@mml.org or 517-908-0306.