Winds of Change; Counties Get Ready for Turbine Farms

Oct 15 - Pantagraph

EUREKA -- Two Central Illinois counties are rolling out alternative energy welcome mats in the form of ordinances that can streamline construction of wind farms.

Woodford County Board members passed an ordinance after being approached last year by Minnesota-based Navitas to put up a wind monitoring tower.

Tazewell County Board members are following suit. They've endorsed a preliminary ordinance similar to the one in Woodford County. The board is expected to act on the law later this month.

"This is the newest trend in energy. We wanted to have our ducks in a row," said Jolene Jamison, Woodford County Farm Bureau manager.

People have harnessed the wind for centuries to pump water and grind grain. Energy companies just started flocking to the Central Illinois plains armed with tax credits and a growing need to make the United States less dependent on foreign oil.

Huge blades mounted on modern wind turbines catch the wind. The turning blades spin a generator to make electricity. The turbines can be connected to a utility power grid to bring energy to peoples' homes. Sixty-three turbines producing 50 megawatts of energy could power about 7,000 homes for a year.

The Woodford and Tazewell County ordinances address a number of concerns, including setbacks from homes, wind turbine height, annual inspections by factory representatives, safety devices to prevent people from climbing towers and a decommissioning plan involving a surety bond or escrow account funded by the company.

Bob Weers, Woodford County zoning administrator, said the ordinance should make permitting and other parts of the zoning process go smoothly should Navitas decide to construct a wind farm. The company received county board permission in December to install a wind monitoring tower.

"We are very interested in Woodford County," said Chris Moore, Navitas development director. He said he could not share any project details as plans remain preliminary. The company also does not want to tip off any competitors, he said.

The company has held informational meetings for farmers in the Roanoke/Benson area. Landowners attending the meetings were told the company could put up 80 wind turbines.

Wind energy companies have not yet approached Tazewell County officials.

If they do, the county's proposed ordinance would amend the zoning code to provide special use permits in agricultural areas, said Kristal Deininger, county planning and zoning administrator.

"We got together with Woodford and Peoria counties to look at a regional approach to wind farms. They are a trend in the area," said Deininger.

McLean County Board members amended existing zoning laws two years ago to allow wind turbines in agricultural districts under special use permits. The turbines cannot be within 2,000 feet of a residential district. Texas-based Zilka Renewable Energy plans to put up 250 to 260 wind turbines near Arrowsmith in 2006.

In addition to county zoning efforts, wind energy companies caught a break earlier this week. President George W. Bush, with the approval of Congress, reinstated a 1.8-cent-per-kilowatt hour credit for wind farms that had expired last December.

The reinstated production tax credit will be available to facilities placed in service prior to Jan. 1, 2006. Moore said the credit may not apply to the company's proposed plan for Woodford County.

"We would love to have it, but we don't have to have the credit to move forward with our projects," said Moore, whose company has a 63-turbine wind farm operating in Lee County.

Bill Whitlock, Zilkha project developer, said the credit will assist the company in building four to five projects next year. None are in Illinois. He and Bob Crowell, Zilkha business development director, believe a credit extension through 2006 contained in a pending federal jobs bill could benefit the Arrowsmith project.

"The bigger question at Arrowsmith is that we still do not have a contract with a power buyer," said Crowell. "The people in McLean County have been good to work with. We've had multiple meetings with Phil Dick (county zoning administrator). The zoning changes that were adopted have been very helpful."

Crowell said the company should be able to apply for a special use permit once a county and township road agreement gets signed. A site transportation plan is currently being prepared.

For far more extensive news on the energy/power visit: http://www.energycentral.com .