For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
BOARD. The County Commission, Town Board of Trustees or other governmental body governing the district this chapter refers to.
CONSTRUCTION. Any clearing of land, excavation or other action that would adversely affect the natural environment of the site or route but does not include changes needed for temporary use of sites or routes for non-utility purposes, or uses in securing survey or geological data, including necessary borings to ascertain foundation conditions.
HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINE. A conductor of electric energy and associated facilities.
LARGE WIND ENERGY SYSTEM or LWES. All WES facilities, excluding small wind energy systems.
PERSON. An individual, partnership, joint venture, private or public corporation, association, firm, public service company, cooperative, political subdivision, municipal corporation, government agency, public utility district, consumers power district or any other entity, public or private, however organized.
ROUTE. The location of a high voltage transmission line between two end points. The ROUTE may have a variable width of up to 1.25 miles.
SMALL WIND ENERGY SYSTEM or SWES. A WES facility with a single tower height of less than 75 feet used primarily for on-site consumption of power.
TOWER HEIGHT. The height above grade of the fixed portion of the tower, excluding the wind turbine itself.
SYSTEM HEIGHT. The height above grade of the tallest point of the WES, including the rotor radius.
TURBINE. The parts of the WES including the blades, generator and tail.
UTILITY. Any person engaged in the generation, transmission or distribution of electric energy in this state including, but not limited to, a private investor owned utility, a cooperatively owned utility, a consumers power district and a public or municipal utility.
WIND ENERGY SYSTEM or WES. A commonly owned and/or managed integrated system that converts wind movement into electricity. All of the following are encompassed in this definition of system:
(1) Tower or multiple towers, including foundations;
(2) Generator(s);
(3) Blades;
(4) Power collection systems, including padmount transformers;
(5) Access roads, meteorological towers, on-site electric substation, control building and other ancillary equipment and facilities; and
(6) Electric interconnection systems or portion thereof dedicated to the WES.
(Ord. 10.050, passed 2-3-2008)