What do the government regulators want?

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Minneapolis - St Paul area is trying to be a leader in Green Living. They are expanding their light rail, some local governments are installing solar panels to save money and be green (the solar panels will cost about $1.5 million to save about $15,000 a year and the panels are rated at 10 years life.) Now a man has come up with a creative design using column type wind mills to generate power for his new building. They will be designed into the building and he hopes to produce enough electricity to run his business and maybe sell some to the utility co. The powers that be have refused to grant him a license because they are afraid that the columns, with openings to let in the wind, may not be attractive enough for the neighborhood. It seems that for many people alternative energy solutions must fit into the neat little box of solar panels or big wind mills and they can't see anything different. I have seen proposals like this one around for years but I have not seen any in use until now. Maybe it is because if you have a column on your building and it is producing electricity but people can see it then it must not be the right type. After all the light rail has the tracks and the trains going and it is up to you to watch out for them and you have the brick and wooden barriers to protect from the noise so that people can see you are doing something.