Sunday, February 10, 2008

City learns of wind farm plans

Sunday, February 10, 2008 - Posted 12:47:27 PM
The Minonk City Council were presented with plans for a $400 million wind farm east of the city at its Monday night meeting. Wanda Davies, Senior Project Developer, from Navitas Energy told the council that the project will consist of a 200 megawatt wind farm with 87 to 100 towers.

Davies said the main reason the Minonk area is being selected is that there are three things that come together in this place: wind, land, and transmission lines (Com Ed). She said that her company has been leasing land here for over a year which will cover about 10,000 acres.

Davies said that the wind farm consists of obviously the towers and the turbines that are the visual part of the wind farm. In addition there is buried cable(Woodford County permitting process asks that all cables be buried 4 feet deep to be below almost all drain tile),gravel access roads that go to each turbine, and one substation under the high line transmission lines of Com Ed. Less than 1% of all the land will be used for the wind farm.

Davies said the wind farm will pay about 1.3 million dollars in property taxes in Woodford County of which about ¾ will go to the local schools. She said that close to a million dollars would be going to the Fieldcrest School District.

According to Davies, the nice thing about the property tax revenue is that there is no real increase in costs for services to provide for the wind farm. Wind farms do not take up seats in the schools, use the roads very much, have police calls, and other things. That property tax revenue goes right to benefit all of the rest of the citizens without costing anything for the wind farm. She said the wind farm will provide 10 to 12 long term permanent jobs and perhaps 60 to 80 local jobs during construction.

Davies commented on several of the commonly heard issues about wind farms. These included the following:

• Property values----She said all of the studies done conclude that wind farms do not impact residential property values one way or another.

• Wildlife----She said that we will do a wildlife study and that will be getting underway in May of this year to assure that there is not endangered species of concern in the area and to make sure all of our construction plans take into account that aspect.

• Sound----She said that wind turbines are very quiet and are no louder than a moderately quiet room or a kitchen refrigerator. We use setbacks from homes that are about 1100 feet.

• TV,radio, and cell phones----She said that they do a study to ensure that there will not be any impact and interference is rare and easily avoided. We are required to negate any impact if there might be and the farm will be designed to avoid such an occurrence.

• Ice shed----She said that sensors on wind turbines detect ice buildup and shut down the turbine and the ice drops straight down.

• Safety----She said that wind farms are quite safe and quite and that they do take care to communicate with the local fire districts in terms of their responsibility.

Davies said that plans are to come up with a turbine siting by summer or fall of this year and then start to work on the permitting process which will be rather lengthy because they need to obtain permits from both Woodford and Livingston counties.

Davies said that they want to hear feedback from the council as to how far the turbines should be from the municipal city limits. She said one of the factors that are worth considering is that as turbines are moved further from the City of Minonk they will be moved into Livingston County. As a result, the County will be giving up some significant tax revenue in the event those turbines would be relocated further to the east.

Davies introduced Ward Marshall who is with Babcock and Brown who has bought the wind farm from Navitas Energy. She said that her company will continue to do all of the development work up through permitting and getting it ready to build. Babcock and Brown would build the wind farm and own it for the long term.

Marshall said that Babcock and Brown is an owner of infrastructure assets who invest in toll roads, building, airports, wind farms, and any kind of infrastructure that requires a lot of money that is going to have a long term payout. He said their power plants fit right into that and their wind energy program has been going on for about five years. Marshall said they own 1800 megawatts of wind power and have under management 3000 megawatts of wind power. He added that they think Minonk is a great place to put a wind farm.

Marshall said that if they can get all of the permitting done on schedule, construction would probably start in the spring of 2010 and it typically takes about a year to complete.

Other business

The council approved a request from Chief of Police Nick Cavera to apply for a grant from the Department of Agriculture Rural Development in helping to purchase a new squad car for the police department. Mayor Bill Koos said one of the police cars has about 150,000 miles on it and this grant would cover about 15 % of the cost to purchase a new car. 

Alderman Brian Petersen read a prepared statement commenting on the Fieldcrest baseball issue.

Map of Proposed Wind Farm
                        Viewer comments on this article

John Hawk wrote on 2/19/2008 at 15:58:34

I understand why some people wouldn't want to have them to look at. I'd like to point out that this country needs energy capacity as a matter of national security. If we get into a serious war we're going to need all the power we can get. Look up the history of WWII and how much power was used in the different war industries.

Wanny wrote on 2/16/2008 at 19:44:00

If these things are going to raise 1.3 million in taxes and alot of it going to the schools then we should have them put up in wenona.Oh never mind i know wenona would just find a way to keep all the money themselves and shortchange the schools again.

Citizen wrote on 2/15/2008 at 12:55:11

Well, I can sure tell you live in town. Like I said I DO NOT want them in my backyard. I live in the proposed area where they are going to be. You people that are for it must not live where they are going to be, I can tell. You must live in town, so they won't be in your backyard or front yard to look at them all of the time. Like I said you are not telling me they won't hurt my value on my property. My house, outbuildings and my land? And I am not complaining about everything. I am stating my opinion. So, I am wrong in your book to be against it? Yes, I am like I said I do not want it in my yard, how about we put one up in your yard where you live, how about it? I bet you will do some complaining then huh? Also, the town and school will make money off of it. We as taxpayers will not benefit from the energy they are producing. It would be different if we would. The companies they sell the energy to and the city will make money. We have to put up with them.

To Citizen wrote on 2/15/2008 at 11:54:23

Citizen, you say you are for progress, but not this way. I guess you mean you would rather have a coal fired power plant built in your back yard instead of a wind turbine. Electricity has to be produced somehow! How do propose we make electricity without pollution?? or would you rather have coal smoke? Some people just have to complain about everything.

Citizen wrote on 2/14/2008 at 14:59:56

To Open Minded & Hopeful, Well thanks alot, yeah go ahead and say bring the windfarm to Minonk you think they are "pretty" to look at. I live in the area where they are going and I don't want those "pretty" things in my backyard. I am all for progress but not this way. How about some development at the Carolyn Add. How about some new businesses to the area. Come on council get going on this, that would bring in much needed tax dollars for the city. Would be nice to have another place to eat out there besides Woodys and Subway.

Here we go wrote on 2/14/2008 at 12:47:01

again. Minonk gets to sign up for a wind "farm" (do you have to add water?) Which regardless of what one thinks, WILL lower your property value, but not your taxes. And in return, the school dist will get another million. At the same time, the school is moving events from town. Minonk has a right to exercise it's right and push them back which would stop the project. Can you say "Million Dollar Ball Field Randy?"

Open-Minded and Hopeful wrote on 2/14/2008 at 11:03:23

Its disheartening to hear fellow residents discount each-others opinions... I am a current resident of Minonk, with children in the school system, and a firm advocate to move forward. Renewable energy in Illinois? Fantastic! Much preferred over other potential corporate rural-land usage, ie landfills, huge pig farms, etc. The turbines are relatively quiet... and not only are they NOT an eyesore, I find them somewhat interesting and quasi-majestic. Change can be challenging and difficult true, but no less worth going through! Onwards...

Re To All wrote on 2/13/2008 at 11:32:38

A nuclear power plant is much safer than the coal mines Minonk was proud to be a part of. Funny how the topic of money can turn people against each other.

To: To All wrote on 2/13/2008 at 03:20:08

Better yet a garbage dump. It's hard to put a garbage dump on top of a wind mill.

To All wrote on 2/12/2008 at 18:34:05

I wonder! The people who are against wind farms would they be for a nuclear power plant or a coal fired power plant. These are the other choices for power.Oh yeah Future Gen, we could pump coal pollutants into the ground. This would be much better than a wind turbine!!!!

The Bigger Picture wrote on 2/12/2008 at 10:09:22

Everyone is gripping about how this will affect - them. Yes, you have to look out for "number one," but when are we going to start looking outside our little worlds and see the bigger picture. Minonk residents should be proud to be taking a step in the right direction by allowing a better, renewable energy source. Yes, there will be some draw backs, but there has to be a negative to have a positive. We can't go forward by standing still!

To I need to know wrote on 2/12/2008 at 07:59:38

Some things, e.g., quality of life, are more important than threats of lost tax revenue. Schools' and governments' money problems are not due to a lack of tax revenue anyway. They're due to poor cost management. They need to live within their means.

I also need to know wrote on 2/12/2008 at 07:45:26

If all the people that are for this wind farm will compensate me for my reduced enjoyment of my property that it will generate if we DO get it.

I need to know wrote on 2/12/2008 at 04:29:46

If all the people that are opposed to this wind farm is willing to make up the tax that it will generate if we don't get it.

about time wrote on 2/11/2008 at 19:42:27

Its about time Minonk grows, the windfarm will give us more tax dollars and jobs. This is a good idea, people around here are way to resistant to change, thats why our city is falling behind the times...fast!

Why? wrote on 2/11/2008 at 15:02:29

Why should the city of Minonk have a right to specify how far to keep the turbines away if I, a rural land owner, have no such ability? I hope this is not the case.

Not For It wrote on 2/11/2008 at 13:36:12

To Little Info For You and Pro Wind Farm, I can tell you two do not live in the country. You are not the one who has to "live with it". As far as the schools, you know that the money will probably not go to the school like they say. If it does, great! But you know our taxes won't go down. Most of our tax money is going to the school, now they are getting $1 Million. OK, I want my taxes to go down then. I do NOT have any FAITH at all in our school system and the people who run it. They has been too much crap happen in the past and within the last couple of weeks. Personally, I would have had the race track any day over these little pinwheels as someone put it.

little info for you wrote on 2/11/2008 at 11:42:45

The only thing minonk has to do with this is how close they can build it to the city limits. The rest is up to the county and township and both already approved it. So complaining about progress will not do you any good. Especially since most all the land owners in the area are in favor of it.

Pro Wind Farm wrote on 2/11/2008 at 12:32:22

I'd rather have a quiet wind farm than a noisey race track any day. If the energy company pays taxes and generates almost $1M to the Fieldcrest school districts located in Woodford County, I can't seem to find a downside to a proposed wind farm. I don't find the turbines unsightly either, they remind me of a field of pinwheels.

Also Not For It wrote on 2/11/2008 at 08:39:16

I also live/own/farm land in the township. Despite the carefully chosen term "wind farm," this is not farming. This is commercial use of farm ground, not ag use.

Not For It wrote on 2/10/2008 at 22:26:29

I am not for the windfarms around Minonk. We live in the proposed area where the farm is suppose to be. You are not telling me once they are built and down the road I decide to sell my house that it is going to be a big "plus" to have a windfarm in my backyard. I find it hard to believe it is going to hurt my property values. I did not live in the country to have a windfarm around me. I want peace and quiet. Let them move them farther away from Minonk. They are too close to the town where they want to put them. Another thing Minonk is jumping into for the money. So sad, you know the school won't see the money or board will spend it foolishly.

To This is great wrote on 2/10/2008 at 20:30:58

Windmills are on their way out overseas. Perhaps Minonk could put its ball diamonds back into production by putting on on them.

This is great wrote on 2/10/2008 at 18:17:55

They have been using windmills over seas for about 20 years now, it's about time U.S to stop wasting resources and start using renewable one. But some how Wenona is going to benefit from this wind farm.

Concerned Question wrote on 2/10/2008 at 17:44:45

Here is a question to think about. The way the FieldCrest school district is going, will this money actually be used for the benifit of all the schools, or will it be siphoned off to the Wenona Tif District. I am sorry, but recent actions of the FieldCrest School board, has me concerned.

A Johnson wrote on 2/10/2008 at 14:08:34

Dave, I Just returned from Palm Springs Calif. and passed a rather large array of wind mills used to generate electricity for that mountainous/valley area. I think the proposal at Minonk is for a larger tract. You will certainly have to weigh the generated money "promised to" Minonk and the aesthetics of a rather unhandsome group of large towers and blades. I, remember when the "hi wire towers were built across the south west area of Minonk. With the great demand for energy sources, there will be an even greater demand for alternative sources. Thankgoodness I don't have to vote on this.

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