The comments below are from a review of wind turbine setbacks from around the world that was conducted by the State of Minnesota. It appears that Ohio’s siting regulations are among the least protective in the world. The report notes that “For countries with required or recommended wind turbine setback distances, the average lower setback distance is approximately 470 meters (1,542 feet), and the average upper setback distance is approximately 700 meters (2,297 feet).” Interesting, too, is the discussion of shadow flicker which generally has been recommended as being limited to 30 hours per year. The Minnesota report makes it clear that 30 hours is the worst maximum allowed and that 8 hours per year of actual flicker is the more acceptable standard. Ohio uses 30 hours as their standard. It does not appear that most countries have standards for inaudible noise which has come to prominence with the increasing size of turbines. Infrasound is a significant issue and it largely absent from the Minnesota Report….paste the link below to see the entire report...
The generation of electrical energy from wind, or wind energy, is a priority for the United States and the state of Minnesota. At the national level, the United States Department of Energy has published a report called 20% Wind Energy by 2030, created tax credit breaks for developing and using renewable energy, and funded wind energy research and development.1 However, there is no federal renewable portfolio standard requiring that increased amounts of the United States’ energy come from renewable energy sources, although thirty of the fifty states have such a standard.2 Minnesota’s renewable energy objective calls for 25% of the state’s electrical energy to come from renewable sources including wind energy by 2025.3