Mar 06 - State Journal Register



By CHRIS DETTRO

When Delton Litwiller, 78, stands outside the back door of his rural Emden home and looks east, he sees what might be a scene from "War of the Worlds" -- a stand of 300-foot tall metal giants with slowly turning propeller blades at their tops.

They're wind turbines, part of the 11,000-acre Rail Splitter Wind Farm that straddles Logan and Tazewell counties east of Interstate 155. They began generating electricity this fall.

The turbines were built after a debate that in many ways mirrored one under way in Sangamon County. Wind farm opponents were concerned about noise, property values, and other issues, but the Rail Splitter facility ultimately was approved by two different county boards. And now?

 "We haven't had any problems with them at all," Litwiller said. "We never even notice them."

Litwiller isn't necessarily a wind-power advocate, and it also should be noted that none of the turbines are on Litwiller's property, where he and his wife have farmed for more than 30 years. The closest turbine is maybe a mile away.

Litwiller thinks the greater future lies in solar energy, not wind power, and he wonders how long the turbines will work and what the ramifications will be when they're removed. But for now, he doesn't mind the dozen or so he can see from his yard.

"Once in a while, we will see them not working and wonder how we're getting electricity when they're not running," he said.

Cheryl Baker, along with her husband and brother, operates Fairview Acres Inc., a hog farming operation south of the Litwillers, and the Bakers are wind farm supporters.

The Bakers have on their property four of the 67 turbines that make up the wind farm. Each is close to 400 feet tall when you include the 125-foot blades that attach to the hub, or nacelle itself the size of a camper trailer.

The closest turbine is about 1,800 feet away from Cheryl Baker's office window.

"They're relaxing for me," said Baker. "I have a lot of stress in keeping books for the farms, and watching them turn takes some of that away. They're almost mesmerizing."

Lots of opposition

Houston-based Horizon Wind Energy started construction of the wind farm in November 2008 and finished the last turbine last March. The turbines on Baker's property started generating electricity in September.

Opposition to the proposed wind farm developed in early 2008, when word of the project spread.

Glenn Fogler, a representative of Union Ridge Wind, a group opposed to the project, argued before the Logan County Regional Planning Commission in 2008 that the wind farm violated a variety of rules in the Logan County comprehensive plan for environmentally safe development, land-use patterns, protecting wildlife habitat and preserving natural resources.

"Horizon keeps saying the construction of the wind turbines will not change the use of the agricultural land that farmers will still be able to farm the land but you all seem to forget that there are residential properties, as well," Fogler told the planners at the time.

Fogler couldn't be reached for comment for this story, and Horizon representatives didn't return phone calls.

Nonetheless, both Logan and Tazewell counties eventually granted the company construction permits.

Baker said about 10 families in Logan County and 15 in Tazewell opposed the project.

"There was a lot of opposition, and it's still there," she said. "It got very verbal. There were some nasty mailers sent out.

"I'd say about 60 percent were people who moved from town to the country and didn't want their view to change," she said.

Reputation to protect'

The opponents raised questions about noise, property values, the wind farm's effect on aerial spraying, "ice fling," the flicker effect of the blades and the sun, and aircraft and bird safety. Many of those same questions are being asked now by a group called Sangamon County Citizens for Wind Rights about the 20,000-acre Meridian Wind Farm being discussed for western Sangamon County.

"One woman had children with some health problems, and she was worried about radioactivity coming off the towers," Baker said. "The generators are 300 feet in the air. By the time any microwaves hit the ground, they've dissipated."

"Nobody wanted change," she said. "It was the same when electricity came out here."

Baker is compensated for leasing land for turbines, but is contractually prohibited from saying just how much.

Horizon leases the land it needs for the towers and access roads for 20 or 30 years, she said. It also pays landowners an estimated $5,000 to $10,000 per turbine. It also pays if a property owner hosts a meteorological tower that measures wind speed.

Non-participants without towers also get annual stipends, with the exception of some who hired an attorney and negotiated lump-sum payments, she said.

Baker said she believes what's being said by Horizon, a subsidiary of a company based in Madrid, Spain.

"They're an international company, they've been operating wind turbines for years, and they have a reputation to protect," she said. "I don't think there's a question they haven't already answered."

One family moved

But bitterness remains over the Rail Splitter project, she said.

"One family opposed to the wind farm sold their house and moved to Arkansas," Baker said. "For the most part, none of them (opponents) speak to us."

The Logan County Board required that the towers be set back at least 750 feet, or 1.1 times the system height, from primary structures. But Horizon extended the minimum setback to 1,500 feet, she said.

As for sound levels, Baker said a device measures the noise coming from a tower.

"At wind speed of 12 mph, you can't read for noise because the wind is too loud," she said. "There are county, state and federal rules for decibel levels, and they have to meet all those."

People also were concerned energy generated by the wind farm would go to the Chicago area, not central Illinois.

Ameren/CILCO buys all the power from Rail Splitter and initially transmits it to Pekin.

"It goes where it's needed, and the company that's buying it decides," Baker said. "I don't care, as long as it's helping reduce our dependence on foreign oil."

Litwiller says property taxes paid by the wind farm are "good for education and good for the fire district, and Baker agrees.

Each wind turbine generates about $3,000 in tax money for Logan County, she said.

"There are 29 turbines in Logan County, and 70 percent of that money goes to the school district," she said. "The fire district and the road district also benefit. It's very lucrative for the county."

"We appreciate wind energy because we live close to Clinton," Baker added. "The nuclear power plant took 1,500 acres out of production. Wind towers take less than an acre."

"We want to maintain the ground and the world," she said. "This is not going to solve all the problems, but it's a step in the right direction. There are no byproducts, no pollution."

Chris Dettro can be reached at 788-1510.

Wind power

* Each Rail Splitter wind turbine has the capacity to produce 1.5 megawatts of power.

* One megawatt of power can supply 300 typical homes.

* Wind speeds of 6 to 9 mph produce electricity. Wind speeds of 22 mph to 55 mph are optimum. If wind speed is more than 55 mph, the turbine shuts down.

* The turbines turn toward the wind, and the blades feather to catch the most wind.

More companies eyeing Logan County

LINCOLN More wind farms could be headed toward Logan County, according to Joel Smiley, executive director of the Lincoln-Logan County Development Partnership.

Smiley recently told the Lincoln City Council that Logan County could be home to up to three more wind farms in addition to the Rail Splitter Wind Farm that began operation last year -- by 2011 or 2012.

"Three wind developers are actively looking at Logan County," Smiley said.

Two have already placed meteorological towers that will gauge wind speeds and presence in targeted locations, and a third developer is about ready to erect a similar tower, he said.

The project developers also are already talking to landowners in rural parts of the county where land leases would be needed, he said.

If the projects come to fruition, Smiley said, they will generate a substantial amount of new revenue for local government entities, including school districts.

In turn, the development partnership is sending out feelers to related industries.

"We're going after spin-off projects," said Smiley, such as manufacturers of the towers, turbines, blades and other parts.

Manufacturing parts in Logan County would be an advantage to both wind farm developers and their suppliers, he said.

-- GateHouse News Service

Originally published by CHRIS DETTRO.

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