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Bills from the 2011–12 session

Senate Bill 263

Setback requirements for wind energy systems and granting rule-making authority

Topics: Energy conservation, Health Services, Department of: Health, Municipality, Public Service Commission

Stopped in committee

It never got a ⁠, so it never came up for a vote. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Oct 28, 2011

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. No public hearing was held.

  3. Senate vote, not reached

  4. Assembly vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2012: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations, pursuant to Senate Rule 46 (2)(c). See every bill that never got a hearing this session.

Read the bill

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What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, the Public Service Commission (PSC), with the advice of the Wind Siting Council, must promulgate rules specifying the restrictions that a city, village, town, or county may impose on the installation or use of a "wind energy system," which is defined as equipment and associated facilities that convert and then store or transfer wind energy into usable forms of energy. The restrictions must satisfy certain conditions, including preserving or protecting the public health or safety and not significantly increasing the cost of a wind energy system or significantly decreasing its efficiency. In addition, the subject matter of the rules must include setback requirements and decommissioning, and may include other matters. Current law prohibits a city, village, town, or county from placing a restriction on the installation or use of a wind energy system that is more restrictive than the PSC's rules.

This bill requires that the PSC promulgate rules specifying setback requirements that a city, village, town, or county may impose on a wind energy system, but not until after the PSC receives a report from the Department of Health Services (DHS) regarding an epidemiological study that evaluates the health impacts of wind energy systems on people and animals near such systems. DHS may encourage interested persons to submit such a study to DHS, or DHS may survey scientific literature for such a study. The bill provides that the study must be scientifically sound and peer-reviewed and must do the following: 1) include the health impacts of low frequency sound and infrasound resulting from wind energy systems; 2) evaluate the differences in health impacts, if any, on people and animals in different proximities to and directions from such systems; and 3) evaluate any differences associated with different wind speeds and directions. DHS must submit a report describing the study's findings to both the PSC and the legislature. In carrying out its duties regarding the report, DHS must consult with University of Wisconsin System personnel with the requisite expertise to evaluate such a study.

Read the full summary

Upon receipt of DHS's report, the bill requires the PSC to promulgate rules specifying the setback requirements that a city, village, town, or county may impose on the installation and use of a wind energy system. The rules must be based on the findings of the study that is the subject of the report. As under current law, the bill prohibits a city, village, town, or county from imposing a setback requirement that is more restrictive than the PSC's rules.

The bill also prohibits a person from commencing construction of a large wind energy system prior to the effective date of the rules required under the bill. The bill defines "large wind energy system" as a wind energy system that: 1) has a total installed nameplate capacity of more than 300 kilowatts; and 2) consists of individual wind turbines that have an installed nameplate capacity of more than 100 kilowatts. This prohibition applies notwithstanding the approval of a large wind energy system by a city, village, town, or county. The bill includes legislative findings in support of this prohibition.

Who's behind it

2 senators are its ⁠. All 2 are Republicans.

6 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 8 names

Authors (2)

Signed on in support (6)

What it would cost

State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

What happened

  1. Mar 23, 2012

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Jan 13, 2012

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  3. Dec 2, 2011

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations,.

  4. Nov 14, 2011

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  5. Oct 28, 2011

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Energy, Biotechnology, and Consumer Protection.

  6. Oct 28, 2011

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Oct 28, 2011 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Lasee and Grothman;Cosponsored by Representatives Jacque, Bies, Pridemore, Van Roy, Murtha and Thiesfeldt

  2. Oct 28, 2011 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Energy, Biotechnology, and Consumer Protection

  3. Nov 14, 2011 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Dec 2, 2011 · Senate

    Withdrawn from committee on Energy, Biotechnology, and Consumer Protection and rereferred to committee on Judiciary, Utilities, Commerce, and Government Operations, pursuant to Senate Rule 46 (2)(c)

  5. Jan 13, 2012 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Mar 23, 2012 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1

More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis

More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate

More in the glossary