Key Points:
- Identifying and legally recognizing property rights in wind and solar radiation will provide a private solution to the conflicts caused by renewable energy subsidies.
- There is an inherent tension between energy companies that erect wind turbines and those that own and reside on property near the turbines.
- Government intervention, one way in which the tension could be addressed, can have negative consequences.
- Increased recognition of property rights has a track record of success in tension derived from property interests.
- Minnesota has recognized a property owner’s right to the wind above their land, enabling property owners to protect themselves from the negative consequences wind turbines can bring.
- Wind Locked, LLC has seized on the new recognition; with more than 130 members, Wind Locked is stitching together a growing area of Minnesota where turbine encroachment is limited.