… and what a downer it is:

Opinion – Unpublished

Question – given this is the first ever ruling about Minn. Stat.216F.081, why is this unpublished?

And, as I commented on the STrib site, what struck me was the court’s misplaced reliance on the Renewable Energy Standard as energy policy in MN.  Xcel holds the 2 PPAs for this project.  Whether they build this 78MW project does not make or break Xcel Energy’s compliance with the RES, Xcel is already ahead of the game, in compliance for years into the future.  Compliance with the state’s RES is not at issue here!  That’s a red herring.

Here’s the Coalition for Sensible Siting’s take:

CSS Appellate Decision Press Release

Here are some articles:

StPPP – Minnesota court of appeals throws out county obstacles to Goodhue wind project

STrib – Wind farm doesn’t have to follow setback rules

RochPB – Appellate court rules in favor of AWA Goodhue wind project

MPR – Court ruling green lights Goodhue County wind turbines

KSTP – Wind Turbine Project in Goodhue County Will Move Forward

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