LOCAL - Wind Farm Possible In Hudson Area

Wind farm possible in Hudson area - By Michele Steinbacher msteinbacher@pantagraph.com Full Story . . . . NORMAL - A second, large-scale wind farm could be sprouting turbines in McLean County as early as next spring. Chicago-based Invenergy Wind LLC plans to build the $200 million McLean Wind Energy Center, a network of 100 wind turbines scattered across an 8,000-acre swath of the northeast corner of the county. "We still have some milestones to cross. But all the steps necessary to keep it moving are in place," project manager Ben Hach told the Unit 5 school board Wednesday. In November 2003, Invenergy installed two wind measurement towers. Since then, the company has bought turbines for the project and worked with landowners to secure sites for them. Invenergy also has completed an Illinois Department of Natural Resources environmental study of the site and applied for permits from the Federal Aviation Administration. Key to the wind farm's approval would be permission from the McLean County Zoning Board. Hach said his company hopes that board will issue a conditional-use permit for the project this summer. The energy center would be north of Interstate 74 and west of Interstate 39, mainly between Carlock and Hudson. "It would primarily be in McLean County, but possibly parts of Woodford (County) too," he said, including White Oak, Hudson, Normal and Dry Grove townships.This project would follow in the footsteps of the High Trail Wind Farm. Construction on that project will begin next month in the Arrowsmith area of western McLean County. The High Trail farm will be the first wind farm in the county. It could be one of the largest in the nation, with about 275 wind turbines generating power for 120,000 homes.The McLean Wind Energy Center would generate up to 150 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 50,000 typical Illinois homes, said Hach.Each turbine would be 213 to 330 feet tall. The company, founded in 2001, now operates wind farms in 15 states and Canada. Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants utilities in Illinois to use renewable resources for 8 percent of their output by the year 2012. That's part of the reason why Hach believes utility companies in Illinois are opening up to the idea of wind energy. "For now, we've been meeting with mayors, township boards and school systems" that might be affected by the farm, said Hach. The company also needs to secure an agreement with a power distributor. The Invernegy project manager said McLean County would see the creation of about 150 construction jobs for the project, and five to 15 permanent maintenance positions. He also estimated possible tax revenues for businesses and the school district.Landowners would earn about $5,000 annually per tower. Following the presentation, Scott Lay, Unit 5 school board president, asked Hach what the tax benefit for the district might be. However, Hach said he didn't know, noting proposed legislation that could affect that answer is being considered.