Columbia County

Read the DEIS

A Draft Environmental Impact Statement is the government's analysis of a project's environmental effects before it receives approval. It's your chance to review the facts and tell the PSC what you think.

The Columbia Wind DEIS is 348 pages long. You don't need to read every page — but you should know what's in it.

Read the full DEIS →(PSC Docket 9836-CE-100)

File a public comment with the PSC

The Wisconsin Public Service Commission is accepting comments on the Columbia Wind DEIS through August 28, 2026. Comments that reference specific DEIS sections and are written in your own voice carry the most weight. YOU can make as many comments as you want. Pick the topics that concern you and write one TODAY. You can come back and write another later.

File your comment →(PSC Docket 9836-CE-100)

How to write a comment that counts

1. Make it personal — Where do you live? What are you concerned about?

2. Reference the DEIS — Point to specific sections and findings

3. Make a concrete ask — Tell the PSC what you want them to do

4. Write in your own words — Copy-pasted comments carry less weight

Formula: Your personal story + DEIS section reference + specific request = a comment the PSC can't ignore.

What We Found

Save Wisconsin reviewed the entire DEIS. Here are the issues the document itself reveals — straight from the text, with section references so you can verify.

Important Note:Every issue listed below is sourced directly from the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) prepared by the Public Service Commission (PSC) of Wisconsin and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). These are not our personal opinions or estimates—they are the state's own data, analysis, and official documentation. We have provided the exact section numbers so you can verify each finding for yourself.

Turbines in a protected wildlife area

13 turbines will sit inside the Northern Empire Prairie Wetlands Important Bird Area. This is the first wind project in Wisconsin history to overlap a designated IBA. The DNR identifies this area as one where turbine placement "should not be placed as they may have significant adverse effects on bat and migratory bird populations."

DEIS §3.8.1.1, §6.1.4.1

Noise at the legal maximum

The loudest modeled noise level at a non-participating residence is 44.9 dBA — right against the state's nighttime limit of 45 dBA (equivalent to a constant library hum outside your window all night). This leaves a margin of just 0.1 dBA.

Furthermore, this borderline model relies entirely on the assumption that the developer will install specialized "serrated trailing edge" blades to reduce noise — an assumption that is not legally guaranteed in the turbine purchase order. The DEIS also admits that turbine source data at 16 Hz (the boundary of low-frequency infrasound) was "not available."

All ambient noise measurements were taken in late summer. Winter conditions — when temperature inversions dramatically increase how far sound travels — were not measured.

DEIS §4.6.4, §4.6.4.1, §4.6.4.3

Shadow flicker at homes that didn't consent

18 non-participating homes are projected to receive more than 30 hours per year of shadow flicker from rotating turbine blades. One home is projected to receive 60 hours and 35 minutes — double the state's regulatory limit that triggers required curtailment.

DEIS §4.3.3.1

Health analysis based on a curated review

The DEIS relies on the Wind Siting Council's review of 59 studies published since 2014. Three studies that found potential negative health impacts were dismissed because "reasonable arguments were found to question the legitimacy of their conclusions." The World Health Organization's Environmental Noise Guidelines — which explicitly link noise annoyance to sleep disturbance and cardiovascular effects — were not included.

DEIS §4.5.3, §4.6.1

Alternatives dismissed in a few lines

Solar and batteries are briefly mentioned alongside fossil fuels and dismissed. The DEIS claims "combustible fuels create air pollution" — but solar and batteries don't burn combustible fuels. Energy efficiency and demand response aren't considered at all. No meaningful comparison of land use, cost, or community impact is provided.

DEIS §5.3

Decommissioning costs obscured

The DEIS lists a "net" decommissioning cost of $8.4 million. The actual gross cost to remove the project is $16.6 million.

The difference is a speculative $8.2 million in assumed "salvage and resale" value for the scrap metals (steel and copper) 30 years from now. This net calculation hides the fact that there is currently no established commercial recycling market for the 47 massive fiberglass blades (each 261 feet long), which may end up as a multi-million dollar landfill liability. Additionally, financial assurance relies on a corporate credit rating, not a secured cash bond.

DEIS §1.1.8

Copy-paste errors and broken references

The decommissioning section refers to "Vista Sands" — a completely different wind project. Multiple instances of "Error! Reference source not found" appear throughout the document. The Executive Summary states 34 miles of permanent access roads; Chapter 2 states 16.6 miles.

DEIS §2.1.6, Executive Summary vs. §2.1.6

Additional concerns documented in the DEIS

• Karst and water safety: "Moderate risk for karst" (fractured limestone bedrock) is identified, creating risks for sinkholes and rapid private well contamination. However, the Karst Mitigation Report won't be submitted until October 2026 — after the public comment deadline. DEIS §3.4

• No cumulative noise analysis with the existing 90-turbine Glacier Hills wind farm to the north. DEIS §4.6

• Road safety: Closest turbine to a public road is 390.5 feet — well within the 677-foot blade tip height. DEIS Table 1.2

• Whooping cranes confirmed as using the project area as stopover habitat. DEIS §3.8.1.1

• 42.4% of large birds observed flying within the rotor-swept zone, including sandhill cranes noted as vulnerable. DEIS §3.8.1.2

• NEXRAD weather radar clearance still pending with NTIA. DEIS Table ES-1

• FAA aviation clearance for the actual proposed turbine model still under review. DEIS Table 1.4

• The Merchant Plant Bypass: Filed as a "wholesale merchant plant" to legally bypass the PSC's strict needs and economic analysis, while Alliant Energy simultaneously seeks approval in a separate docket to acquire the project once approved. DEIS §1.1.2, Docket 6680-BS-102

Please Note:The DEIS is a draft document subject to change, and this list represents a summary of key issues identified during our community review. The information on this page is provided for educational and public participation purposes only, and does not constitute legal, medical, or engineering advice. We strongly encourage all residents to read the relevant sections of the full DEIS and draw their own conclusions before filing a public comment.