Forward Wind back

Developer:  Invenergy
Dodge and Fond du Lac Counties, WI

• Two page overview of project (.PDF)
• Details of policy context, visual impact analysis, and public response

Project Background

Southern Fond Du Lac County and northern Dodge County in eastern Wisconsin are home to the small agricultural towns of Brownsville, South Byron, Oakfield, Lomira, and Leroy, and more recenetly, the Forward Wind Energy Center. These small communities are located fifty miles north of Milwaukee and twelve miles south of Fond Du Lac, one mile west of Highway 41, the main route of travel between these two cities. Two miles to the east lies a large marsh, the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge. According to 2005 census estimates, Dodge County has a population density of 100 people per square mile, while Fond Du Lac County has a density of 137. The median household income is $50,000 in Dodge County and $48,000 in Fond Du Lac County. Brownsville, the largest of the affected towns has a population of 563 and a median income of $69,000.

The Horicon Marsh is a nationally and internationally renowned wetland and at 32,000 acres, the largest cattail marsh in the world. The northern part of the marsh near the proposed wind farm is managed by the US Fish & Wildlife Services and is classified as a National Wildlife Refuge. Over 223 species of birds have been documented at the marsh, including endangered species like the Sandhill Crane. Fishing and hunting are allowed in the marsh, and a number of roads, bike trails, and hiking paths surround the area.

Figure 1: Forward Wind, after construction

In 2004, Forward Wind LLC, a division of Invenergy Wind LLC, filed an application with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) for the authority to construct a 133 turbine, 200 MW wind turbine facility. The Forward Project would be the largest project in the state. The turbines are General Electric 1.5 MW turbines, with a ground-to-rotor tip height of nearly 400 feet. The proposed area is on a slight ridge and the land use is over 95% agricultural. The project area was chosen for its good wind resource, transmission availability, and perceived community acceptance.

Significant public opposition to the project developed in late 2004. Invenergy released the final environmental impact statement for the project in June 2005. The PSC approved the project in July, and opponents appealed the decision. The project was delayed for over a year as the appeal went through the courts. Invenergy would have been able to begin construction at this time, but the Federal Aviation Administration put a temporary moratorium on large wind farms while it conducted a study on impacts on military radar systems. The PSC’s decision was affirmed in 2007, and construction began in late 2007. The first phase of the project (86 turbines) went online in April 2008.

Image Bibliography

Figure 1
"Wind Farm - Forward Energy." <http://flickr.com/photos/great_goblin/2320300840/in/set-72157603749173811/> December 4, 2007. (Accessed July 30, 2008).