County urges state to give local governments more say over large wind and solar projects

The Washington County Board of Supervisors on Monday unanimously approved an advisory resolution urging the Wisconsin Legislature to give local elected bodies greater authority over large wind and solar projects. Supervisor Marietta Bailey introduced the resolution, saying residents feel “cut out of major land use decisions when large renewable projects are proposed.”

The resolution asks state lawmakers to reconsider the allocation of siting authority that now places projects of 100 megawatts or more under the Public Service Commission’s jurisdiction, and it urges laws or regulations that would increase meaningful local involvement. “Granting more local control would allow communities to address concerns about land impact, natural resources, foreign ownership of farmland, and the overall transparency of the development process,” Supervisor Marietta Bailey said.

Several board members spoke in favor. Supervisor Newman thanked Bailey and described the issue as “a very big concern amongst a lot of communities around the state,” while Supervisor Bossert argued Wisconsin is “chewing up a lot of prime farmland for solar” and supported a change that would give counties more control. Supervisor Krebs said the item was initially viewed skeptically but that additional information on state statutes helped bring him to support the resolution.

The resolution is advisory — it does not adopt a local ordinance or change county law — and it does not endorse any specific piece of pending legislation. The board’s action records Washington County’s position in order to prompt state-level reforms and encourage legislators to consider changes that would increase local input on future renewable projects.

The board voted electronically; the motion to approve was made by Supervisor Schwab and seconded by Supervisor Newman. The measure passed unanimously.