Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's budget includes $250,000 to study health impacts of wind turbines

MADISON, Wis., Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has included $250,000 to study the possible health impacts of living near wind turbines in his new budget proposal.

"The request for a Wind Energy Health Issues Study was included with the intent to provide the Public Service Commission with comprehensive information to consider as they receive requests for future wind energy projects," said Laurel Patrick, Walker's press secretary, in a statement to The Huffington Post.

The study is inspired by residents of Brown County in Wisconsin, who became the first residents in the U.S. to ever complain about health problems related to wind turbines in October. The residents complained about ear pressure, headaches and nausea.

RENEW Wisconsin, a renewable energy advocacy group, is open to the study. Tyler Huebner, the executive director, told ThinkProgress that he's only worried about if the study will be peer-reviewed.

"The concern for us is that, if study is going to be done, it's not going to be rigorous, and there will be very little value in it," he said.