Illinois to get more wind turbines

David Loomis, director for the ISU center, said the fourfold increase for the six-county area is not surprising. ‘This area is a sweet spot for wind farms,’ Loomis said. ‘This area is the intersection of good wind resources and high-voltage transmission lines.’

Among the latest wind power projects is one by Spanish company, Iberdola Renewables, which won approval for its 165 wind turbines Streator Deer Run wind farm in Livingston County last month. Meanwhile, Houston-based Horizon Wind Energy will be seeking approval Oct. 19 from the McLean County Board for its 223 wind turbines Bright Stalk wind farm.

For proponents, the wind turbines can’t be put up fast enough. Wind farms spur economic development with construction jobs and business expansions, and provide stable tax revenue in the midst of a recession and an ailing state economy. But there are others who worry about the wind turbines’ effect on property values and their disruption of the serene rural landscape.

Ridgeview Superintendent Larry Dodds said the additional tax money generated from the wind turbines has helped his rural Colfax-based district balance its $8 million budget without making dramatic cuts. ‘I wish I could add Miracle-Gro out there to help make the turbines grow faster,’ he said.

Tax revenue from the nearby Twin Groves Wind Farm pumped more than $1.2 million into his district’s budget, Dodds said. The extra money also has helped the school district stay afloat while waiting for the financially ailing state to make its promised payments to schools.

Loomis estimated Illinois’ 21 operating wind farms have added about $8.3 million to the checkbooks of the farmers who rent their land for the wind turbines. Also, Loomis said construction of those wind power projects added nearly 10,000 construction jobs and $509 million in payroll to the state, and created new opportunities for local businesses who can supply parts for the wind turbines.

If there is an irony, it is that most of the energy is produced in Central Illinois is purchased by energy companies including ComEd, Ameren and the Tennessee Valley Authority and used elsewhere. A pair of transmission lines owned by power giants ComEd and Ameren run through the region, giving the wind farm companies easy access to the power grid, said Robin Park, a project manager for Horizon.

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