Pending city council approval Monday, Austin could soon allow wind turbines in industrial and commercial districts — but not in residential neighborhoods.

The council is set to vote on a draft ordinance that spells out what would be the dos and don’ts of building the “green” energy structures in city limits.

If approved, turbines would be allowed in certain zones, given that the builders meet specific regulations regarding height, rotor width and distance from other structures.

These limits would depend on whether a tower is small — less than 50 kilowatts of energy production — or large.

For example, a small tower could not exceed 150 feet in height, while a large tower would be capped at 250 feet.

State and federal agencies would monitor noise output and potential radio interference, respectively.

This draft ordinance was passed unanimously by the city planning commission Tuesday, sending it to the council.

The commission also decided to add a stipulation that towers will have to be at least 350 feet away from any residential district, in addition to not being in the neighborhoods themselves.

Community development director Craig Hoium has said the towers can be decently noisy and obviously quite large, making them a poor fit for residential areas.

Currently, a moratorium is in place for building the turbines anywhere in Austin, but some local business owners expressed interest in the structures.

This included Jim and Merlene Stiles, owners of Super Fresh Produce.

“We have to go that way, toward renewable (energy),” Jim Stiles said previously. “This is just another step in the process.”

Jim Stiles said he was inspired by a turbine built recently by Wally Bustad at the site of his excavating business near Highway 218, which is not in the city limits and not affected by the moratorium.

More businesses could follow suit, Jim Stiles said, and help the city be ahead of the green energy game.

“It’s a great opportunity for Austin to really stand out,” he said.