Wis. Admin. Code Public Service Commission § PSC 128.16 - Signal interference

(1) PLANNING.

(a) Except as provided in sub. (4), the signal interference requirements in this section apply to commercial communications and personal communications in use when the wind energy system begins operation.

(b) A owner shall use reasonable efforts to avoid causing interference with commercial communications and personal communications to the extent practicable.

(c) An owner may not construct wind energy system facilities within existing line-of-sight communication paths that are used by government or military entities to provide services essential to protect public safety. A political subdivision may require an owner to provide information showing that wind turbines and other wind energy system facilities will be in compliance with this paragraph.

(2) COMMERCIAL COMMUNICATIONS INTERFERENCE MITIGATION. An owner shall use reasonable and commercially available technology to mitigate interference caused by a wind energy system with commercial communications in use when a wind energy system begins operation. Before implementing mitigation measures, the owner shall consult with affected parties regarding the preferred mitigation solution for commercial communications interference problems. Except as provided in sub. (4), an owner shall mitigate commercial communications interference caused by the wind energy system by making the affected party's preferred reasonable mitigation solution effective until either the wind energy system is decommissioned or the communication is no longer in use, whichever is earlier.

(3) PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS INTERFERENCE MITIGATION.

(a) An owner shall use reasonable and commercially available technology to mitigate interference with personal communications in use when a wind energy system begins operation caused by a wind energy system. A political subdivision may require an owner to use reasonable and commercially available technology to mitigate interference with personal communications that were not in use when the wind energy system began commercial operation, if a wind energy system is causing the interference and the interference occurs at a location at least 0.5 mile from a wind turbine.

(b) Before implementing mitigation measures, the owner shall consult with affected parties regarding the preferred mitigation solution for personal communications interference problems. Except as provided in sub. (4), an owner shall mitigate personal communications interference caused by the wind energy system by making the affected party's preferred reasonable mitigation solution effective until either the wind energy system is decommissioned or the communication is no longer in use, whichever is earlier.

(4) MITIGATION PROTOCOL. A political subdivision may, under a protocol established under s. PSC 128.50(2), require an owner to implement a new mitigation solution that becomes commercially available before the wind energy system is decommissioned to address interference for which mitigation is required under sub. (2) or (3) and for which the original mitigation solution implemented is only partially effective.

Notes

Wis. Admin. Code Public Service Commission § PSC 128.16

CR 10-057: CR Register February 2011 No. 662, eff. 3-1-11; correction in (1) (a) made under s. 13.92(4) (b) 7, Stats., Register February 2011 No. 662.