Wisconsin currently has 10 operating ….

Wisconsin currently has 10 operating wind farms, Weyer said, with a total of 437 turbines spinning at heights of as much as 600 feet. While they produce renewable energy that can be sold to existing power companies, they also create concerns such as potential declines in property values, blinking light disruption (the towers proposed in the Hoard/Mayville project would be 600 feet in height, and would require flashing lights), shadow flicker (the moving shadows caused by the whirling turbines), local television signal disruption, and low frequency noise issues.

Regarding solar energy farms, Weyer said there has been more interest in them recently. They are not regulated yet by state codes, and companies have begun to install large solar panel arrays to capture the sun’s energy. He cited a 13,000-acre farm developed recently in Indiana.

While solar farms would not involve the towering, aesthetically disruptive wind turbines, they could include large congregations of solar panels in an area. In recent months, Weyer said he has gotten calls from three different solar energy developers that have asked for zoning information in the towns of Eaton, Loyal and Colby.

“In the last six weeks, I’ve had more calls on solar farms than I did in my first three-and-half years here,” Weyer said.