County regulation of Wind Turbines

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No Additional Tax Revenue

1. 272.02 EXEMPT PROPERTY. Subdivision 1.Exempt property described. All property described in this section to the extent limited in this section shall be exempt from taxation.
2. Subd. 22.Wind energy conversion systems. All real and personal property of a wind energy conversion system as defined in section 272.029, subdivision 2, is exempt from property tax except that the land on which the property is located remains taxable. If approved by the county where the property is located, the value of the land on which the wind energy conversion system is located shall be valued in the same manner as similar land that has not been improved with a wind energy conversion system. The land shall be classified based on the most probable use of the property if it were not improved with a wind energy conversion system.

Loss of Existing Tax Revenue

Appraisal Studies

Impact of Wind Turbines on Value of Texas Rural Land, South Texas Plains Wind and Wildlife Conference, February 2009.

1. Value Reduction
   1. Turbines on Property Average Negative 34%
   2. Turbines Nearby Average Negative 26%

2009 Wind Turbine Impact Study, Appraisal One Group 9/9/2009

1.  Negative Impact Reducing Land (id,type,content_type,pagetitle,longtitle,description,alias,link_attributes,published,pub_date,unpub_date,parent,isfolder,introtext,content,richtext,template,menuindex,searchable,cacheable,createdby,createdon,editedby,editedon,deleted,deletedon,deletedby,publishedon,publishedby,menutitle,donthit,haskeywords,hasmetatags,privateweb,privatemgr,content_dispo,hidemenu) VALUES average of 30%

Minn. Stat. 40A.01 State Agricultural Land Preservation Policy.

Subdivision 1.Goals. The goals of this chapter are to:

preserve and conserve agricultural land, including forest land, for long‐term agricultural use in order to protect the productive natural resources of the state, maintain the farm and farm‐related economy of the state, and assure continued production of food and timber and agricultural uses;
preserve and conserve soil and water resources; and
encourage the orderly development of rural and urban land uses.

Subd. 2.Methods. The goals contained in subdivision 1 will be best met by combining state policies and guidelines with local implementation and enforcement procedures and private incentives.

 

Minn. Stat. 216F.081 Application Of County Standards.

A county may adopt by ordinance standards for LWECS that are more stringent than standards in commission rules or in the commissionʹs permit standards. The commission, in considering a permit application for LWECS in a county that has adopted more stringent standards, shall consider and apply those more stringent standards, unless the commission finds good cause not to apply the standards.

Moratorium

Minn. Stat. 394.34 INTERIM ZONING.    If a county is conducting or in good faith intends to conduct studies within a reasonable time, or has held or is holding a hearing for the purpose of considering a comprehensive plan or official controls or an amendment, extension, or addition to either, or in the event new territory for which no zoning may have been adopted, may be annexed to a municipality, the board in order to protect the public health, safety, and general welfare may adopt as an emergency measure a temporary interim zoning map or temporary interim zoning ordinance, the purpose of which shall be to classify and regulate uses and related matters as constitutes the emergency. Such interim resolution shall be limited to one year from the date it becomes effective and to one year to renewal thereafter.

Costs Passed on to Applicant

Minn. Stat. 394, Subd. 7 (a) and (h) (a) Specific controls pertaining to other subjects incorporated in the comprehensive plan or establishing standards and procedures to be employed in land development including, but not limited to, subdividing of land and the approval of land plats and the preservation and dedication of streets and land for other public purposes and the general design of physical improvement.    (h) The fees or dedication must be fair, reasonable, and proportionate to the need created.