Let’s start with the really, really good news: Wind turbines and solar panels are about to be given special status under New Jersey’s municipal land use law. Already passed by the NJ Senate by a vote of 36-1, the Assembly version will soon be posted for a full vote of the Assembly.

This follows a unanimous vote of the Assembly Housing & Local Government Committee on March 9.

Once adopted into law, solar and wind electric systems will be presumed to be inherently beneficial to society. The legal consequence of this presumption is that applicants seeking variances for solar and wind electric systems will enjoy the same advantages as applicants for variances for hospitals and day care centers and cell towers.

What’s the bottom line? Local governments will not easily be able to deny variance applications for these important technologies. And for sure, aesthetics arguments alone will be legally insufficient to deny variances.

The Assembly Bill number is A 3062, and was sponsored by Assemblymen McKeon, Chivikula & Coutinho. The Bill was actually born in the Senate, and was sponsored by Senators Smith and Baroni.

This prospective law enjoys strong bipartisan support and is expected to easily pass the Assembly vote on Monday. Governor Corzine is expected to sign the bill into law shortly thereafter — perhaps at Wayne Auto Spa.

In the meantime, Wayne Township’s ordinance that outlaws wind turbines from the entire town remains in effect — oh yeah, despite the fact that the Town Council intends to install a wind turbine on Wayne Valley High School. Though the Town has been considering the repeal of this offensive ordinance and the adoption of a slightly more permissive one (take a look at the post that follows this one), they have paused. Apparently, they are still being heavily influenced by a small group of my neighbors, who really, really don’t want wind turbines.

Our lawsuit challenging the ordinance and the rejection of our minor site plan application for a small wind turbine pushes on. Its startling that in these difficult economic times that Wayne’s government wastes taxpayer money on this when even they know they are wrong. I guess ego & political retribution are more important to them than prudent management of the Township’s budget.

Well, to quote Gandhi: “First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.”

A big thanks to the legislative sponsors of this bill and the various Committee members who have supported it and all of those who have voted for it.

Good stuff. And a sign of the changing times, for the better.

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