Public weighs in on Dodge County Wind project

Local residents got their chance to comment on Dodge County Wind’s proposal to construct 79 wind turbines and a 27-mile-long transmission line mainly through Dodge County but beginning in Steele County and ending in Mower County last week.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission staff held several meetings in Kasson to get in-person comments on the proposal by Dodge County Wind, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy. The PUC commissioners will have the final say on if the project gets the required permits.

Speakers expressed a variety of opinions on the project.

Aaron Tempel, an Ashland Township farmer, said he has wetlands on his property and is concerned about the damage the project could pose to the ecosystem.

Tempel said the wetlands are home to a variety of birds and plants. He questioned why NextEra, which says it is concerned about the environment, would put a project adjacent to such a diverse property.

He also raised concerns about a NextEra subsidiary recently pleading guilty to killing at least 150 bald and golden eagles

It recently pleaded guilty to federal charges after at least 150 eagles were killed at its wind farms in eight states. The federal charges resulted in the company being ordered to pay more than $8 million in fines and restitution.

“Please rethink this project,” Tempel said.

Orin Johnson, a Vernon Township supervisor, said that Tempel covered what he had been hearing in his township.