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Wisconsin appeals court upholds wind siting ruling

MADISON, Wis. - A Wisconsin appeals court says state regulators didn't have to produce a report on how wind turbines affect property values when they imposed siting standards.

The Public Service Commission implemented rules setting up uniform wind turbine construction and setback standards in 2012. The state realtors, builders and towns associations sued, arguing the rules were invalid because the commission didn't produce a report on the rules' effect on property values.

A Brown County judge ruled last year no report was required. The 3rd District Court of Appeals agreed on Tuesday. The court said a report is needed only when rules directly affect housing. The PSC considered voluminous evidence about turbines' effect on housing and reasonably concluded they don't' hurt residential property values.

The associations' attorney didn't immediately return a message.

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