City ponders wind-power regulations

Private wind-generated power may become a reality in Mitchell someday soon, and the city is trying to stay ahead of the current.

At a meeting this afternoon, the Mitchell Planning and Zoning Commission will review suggested guidelines for wind generation policies sent to cities by the state Municipal League. Right now, there are no city regulations in Mitchell on small, private systems.

“It’s been a topic that we’ve been examining for some time,” said City Planner Neil Putnam.

According to the South Dakota Municipal League website, the league and the South Dakota Municipal Electric Association have provided guidelines for municipalities considering permitting small wind systems. So far, Harrisburg, Philip, Wagner, Madison, Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Vermillion have policies in place.

“The S.D. Public Utilities Commission only has regulatory authority for large wind farms with a capacity of 100 megawatts or more,” the website states. “The smaller wind projects are not regulated by the commission. Although many municipalities nationally have adopted wind-related regulations, a one-size-fits-all template is not applicable. This is due to any number of regional, state and local factors.”

Right now, no one is seeking permission to build a private power-generation system in Mitchell, Putnam said. While there are no restrictions on anyone doing so, he said height, setback and other existing guidelines would apply.

“So far, I’m not aware of anything that’s out there,” Putnam said.

But he said other cities in the state have private power generators in place, and Mitchell needs to be aware of the issue.

The meeting is at noon today at City Hall. It’s open to the public.

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