Consumers Energy will defend its wind farm before a Mason County appeals board Wednesday night. The utility is resisting an order by the county to tone down the noise from several of its turbines.
Last summer, a consultant found that noise from four of the eight turbines it tested exceeded what’s allowed by Mason County’s wind ordinance. In September, the planning commission ordered Consumers Energy to submit a plan to reduce the noise.
In its appeal, the utility says the county’s consultant didn’t interpret the noise levels correctly, and that the study didn’t properly isolate sound of the turbines from other background noises.
A county official says their numbers show Consumers is in violation. And the ordinance requires that the company submit a plan to reduce sound from the turbines.
In separate action, a group of homeowners is suing Consumers, alleging that noise from the wind farm has been affecting their health and enjoyment of their property since it went online a year ago.
