This man could go to jail over his home wind turbine

In 2010, a Minnesota man named Jay Nygard built four wind turbines on his property, seeking to make his lifestyle more environmentally friendly. He put one in his front yard and was promptly sued by local authorities, kicking off a legal battle that continues to this day.

Now, though a previous court ruling went in his favor, Nygard and his wife face six months of jail time if he does not remove the windmill by February 19. This is ostensibly because the turbine's lights and sound are obnoxious to neighbors, but Nygard says it has no lights and can't be making any sound, since it has been turned off for a year.

"This is my city. I can't believe they're doing this to me," he says. "That's the craziest thing, all of this is happening over going green."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up