Shirley Wind
{{short description|Wind farm in Wisconsin}}
{{Infobox power station
| name = Shirley Wind
| image = File:Shirley Wind Farm 003.jpg
| image_caption = Shirley Wind
| country = United States
| location = Shirley, Glenmore, Wisconsin
| coordinates = {{coord|44|21|25|N|87|56|51|W|region:US-WI_type:landmark|display=title, inline}}
| owner = Duke Energy
| status = O
| ps_units_operational = 8 Nordex 2.5 wind turbines
| ps_electrical_capacity = 20 MW
| commissioned = 2011
| decommissioned =
}}
Shirley Wind is a wind farm in the Shirley section of Glenmore, Brown County, Wisconsin. The site, which opened in 2011, includes eight Nordex 2.5 (MW) wind turbines, each about {{convert|500|ft|m}} tall. Originally developed by Emerging Energies LLC, it is owned by Duke Energy.{{cite web|url=http://www.duke-energy.com/commercial-renewables/shirley-windpower.asp|title=Shirley Windpower -Duke Energy|work=duke-energy.com|accessdate=6 June 2015}}
When the wind farm was built, the turbines were the tallest in the state of Wisconsin, and among the tallest in North America.{{cite web|url=http://www.nordex-online.com/en/news-press/news-detail.html?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2047&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=1&cHash=1ebb7c430f |title=Nordex receives order for first N100/2500 project in the US |publisher=Nordex |date=December 16, 2009 |accessdate=July 15, 2017}}
Following a study conducted in 2013,{{cite web|url=http://www.midwestenergynews.com/2013/01/08/analysis-politics-drown-out-facts-following-wisconsin-wind-noise-study/|title=Analysis: Politics drown out facts following Wisconsin wind noise study|work=midwestenergynews.com|accessdate=6 June 2015}} the Brown County Board of Health declared the Shirley Wind Farm a “human health hazard” in 2014.{{cite web|url=http://windvictimsontario.com/analysis-of-low-frequency-and-infrasound-at-the-shirley-wind-farm.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206164945/http://www.windvictimsontario.com/analysis-of-low-frequency-and-infrasound-at-the-shirley-wind-farm.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=December 6, 2013|title=Analysis of Low Frequency and Infrasound at the Shirley Wind Farm|work=Wind Victims Ontario|accessdate=6 June 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://waubrafoundation.org.au/2014/duke-energys-shirley-wisconsin-wind-development-hazard-human-health-declares-brown-county-board-health/|title=Duke Energy's Shirley Wisconsin Wind Development a "Hazard to Human Health" Declares Brown County Board of Health - Waubra Foundation|work=waubrafoundation.org.au|accessdate=6 June 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://bccrwe.com/index.php/8-news/16-duke-energy-s-shirley-wind-declared-human-health-hazard|title=Duke Energy's Shirley Wind Turbines Declared "Human Health Hazard"|author=publisher|work=bccrwe.com|accessdate=6 June 2015|archive-date=23 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150523142641/http://bccrwe.com/index.php/8-news/16-duke-energy-s-shirley-wind-declared-human-health-hazard|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.scrippsmedia.com/nbc26/news/161731795.html|title=Brown County Wind Turbine Battle|author=Deandra Corinthios|work=NBC26|accessdate=6 June 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607040034/http://www.scrippsmedia.com/nbc26/news/161731795.html|archivedate=7 June 2015}} In 2015 the Brown County Health Director Chua Xiong said that there was insufficient scientific evidence to link wind turbines to illnesses experienced by residents.{{cite web|url=http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/local/2015/12/15/county-cant-tie-shirley-wind-farm-health/77324070/|author= Doug Schneider|title= County: Can't tie Shirley Wind Farm to health|accessdate=17 April 2016}}
History
Shirley Wind was originally developed by Emerging Energies LLC, a Wisconsin wind energy company.{{cite web|url=http://www.renewwisconsin-blog.org/2010/11/shirley-wind-auspicious-debut-for.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160706202413/http://www.renewwisconsin-blog.org/2010/11/shirley-wind-auspicious-debut-for.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=July 6, 2016 |title=Shirley Wind: An Auspicious Debut for Emerging Energies |author=Michael Vickerman |publisher=RENEW Wisconsin |date=November 10, 2010 |accessdate=July 15, 2017}} Emerging Energies had been looking to construct a wind farm in northeast Wisconsin since 2004. The permits were secured from the town of Glenmore in 2007.
In 2009, Emerging Energies sold a 90 percent stake in the project to Central Hudson Energy Group.{{cite web|url=http://www.renewwisconsin.org/wiwindinfoOLD.net/projects/CommercialWindWisconsin-2012.pdf |title=Commercial Wind Energy Installations in Wisconsin |publisher=RENEW Energy |accessdate=July 15, 2017}}
Construction on the wind farm began in April 2009. The farm began commercial operation in December 2010, selling the power to Wisconsin Public Service Corporation.
In 2011, Duke Energy purchased Shirley Wind.
Electricity Production
| class="wikitable"
|+Generation Shirley Wind Power Plant (MW-h) and Capacity Factor{{Cite web|title=Electricity Data Browser|url=https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/plant/57553/?freq=M&pin=|access-date=2020-07-12|website=www.eia.gov}} !Year !Jan !Feb !Mar !Apr !May !Jun !Jul !Aug !Sep !Oct !Nov !Dec !Annual (Total) ! !Capacity Factor (%) |
| 2010
|- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1,583 |1,337 !2,920 | |10.0 |
|---|
| 2011
|4,059 |6,386 |4,705 |6,086 |6,287 |4,082 |2,741 |2,167 |3,722 |5,131 |6,573 |6,289 !58,228 | |33.2 |
| 2012
|7,956 |4,996 |7,113 |5,913 |5,448 |4,766 |2,710 |3,130 |4,257 |6,210 |5,628 |5,602 !63,729 | |36.4 |
| 2013
|7,648 |5,768 |5,165 |7,285 |5,312 |2,906 |2,616 |2,503 |3,863 |4,922 |7,470 |5,310 !60,769 | |34.7 |
| 2014
|8,538 |6,449 |6,588 |7,281 |4,768 |4,071 |3,633 |2,223 |3,655 |6,082 |6,870 |4,859 !65,018 | |37.1 |
| 2015
|5,757 |5,244 |6,056 |6,108 |6,181 |2,969 |3,110 |3,843 |3,840 |6,503 |8,037 |7,117 !64,766 | |37.0 |
| 2016
|5,688 |6,335 |5,045 |5,991 |4,910 |3,668 |3,307 |2,297 |4,421 |4,875 |5,849 |7,966 !60,350 | |34.4 |
| 2017
|5,931 |6,297 |6,609 |6,443 |5,467 |4,625 |2,330 |2,069 |2,645 |5,967 |6,578 |6,518 !61,479 | |35.1 |
| 2018
|7,247 |5,268 |5,940 |4,741 |4,032 |2,783 |2,328 |2,516 |2,827 |5,102 |4,852 |5,319 !52,955 | |30.2 |
| 2019
|* | | | | | | | | | | | ! | |0.0 |
| 2020
| | | | | | | | | | | | ! | |0.0 |
* Data not available
Health hazard
Soon after the wind farm went into operation, local residents began complaining of health problems they said were caused by low frequency noise stemming from the wind turbines. Ultimately, over 75 local residents filed complaints with the Brown County Board of Health.
In January 2012, the Brown County Board of Health requested emergency aid from the state to assist families suffering from the effects of the wind farm.{{cite web|url=http://waubrafoundation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Brown-Country.pdf |title=Brown County Board of Health Resolution Requesting Emergency State Aid for Families Suffering Around Industrial Wind Turbines |publisher=Brown County Health Department |date=January 18, 2012 |accessdate=July 15, 2017}}
In January 2013, a study of the low frequency noise was completed, which showed that three of the houses studied had evidence of low frequency noise, but in only one house was that noise coming from the outside.{{cite web|url=http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/environment/study-suggests-wind-turbines-low-frequency-noise-could-cause-health/article_835ba89e-5609-11e2-8b02-001a4bcf887a.html |title=Study suggests wind turbines' low-frequency noise could cause health woes |author=Dee J. Hall |publisher=Wisconsin State Journal |date=January 4, 2013 |accessdate=July 15, 2017}} However, the study could not conclude that the health effects experienced by local residents were caused by the wind farm.
In October 2014, the Brown County Board of Health declared the Shirley Wind farm a "human health hazard", based on the complaints of local residents, becoming the first board of health in the country to make such a declaration.{{cite web|url=http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/local/2014/10/26/health-officials-weigh-next-step-wind-turbine-battle/17967875/ |title=Health officials weigh next step in wind turbine battle |author=Paul Srubas |publisher=Green Bay Press-Gazette |date=October 26, 2014 |accessdate=July 15, 2017}}
In December 2015, after reviewing studies and evidence, Brown County Health Director Chua Xiong declared that there was insufficient evidence linking the wind turbines to the illnesses suffered by local residents.
This decision was called into question after an Open Records request revealed that Xiong experienced migraines when near the wind turbines. She said: "The times I have been out there by the Wind Turbines, l get such migraine headaches, I think I should take some preventative Tylenol before I head out there."{{Cite news|url=http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/2016/03/20/health-chief-got-such-migraines-wind-farm/82059968/|title=Health chief got 'such migraines' at wind farm|last=Schneider|first=Doug|date=March 20, 2016|work=Green Bay Press Gazette|access-date=February 7, 2018}}
Migraines are a frequently observed symptom reported to the Brown County Health Department by people living near Shirley Wind's turbines when they are operating.
Xiong resigned her position the day before the emails were revealed to a local citizen's group through an Open Records request.{{Cite news|url=http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/2016/03/16/xiong-resigns-brown-co-health-director/81886436/|title=Xiong resigns as Brown Co. health director|last=Schneider|first=Doug|date=March 16, 2016|work=Green Bay Press Gazette|access-date=February 7, 2018}}
See also
{{stack|{{Portal|Weather|Renewable energy}}}}