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Land owners could be paid $4,500 for each wind turbine
By PAUL GALE - Prairie Advocate Reporter, (815) 493-2560 PGale@prairie-advocate-news.com
MOUNT CARROLL - Eastern Carroll County landowners could be paid leases starting at $4,500 for each wind turbine if a $100 million wind farm project called Ecolark gets underway.
About 50 landowners heard EcoEnergy director of wind energy development West Slaymaker say the project could include a minimum of 60 turbines during a meeting April 18 at the Carroll County Farm Bureau hall.
"Wind turbines can be good neighbors," Slaymaker said. "We're looking at a wind source that will last forever."
Based on wind tests, the best area to place the turbines in Carroll County is an 8,000 to 10,000-acre site south of Shannon and east of the Shannon blacktop, Slaymaker said. EcoEnergy would limit the turbines to seven per square mile.
"It's the most we can do on a flat area. On a ridge, we could do more," he said.
The wind farm, designed to generate 100 megawatts of electricity, could include part of Ogle County.
The turbines, which would cost more than $2 million each, will be bigger than the turbines in operation along Interstate 39 near Paw Paw. While the Paw Paw turbines have blades 90 feet long, the ones proposed for EcoLark would be 131 feet long. The towers would be 262 feet high. In addition, the turbines would be much more efficient than the ones at Paw Paw because they are being produced in a more efficient manner all the time, Slaymaker said.
EcoEnergy, which is headquartered in Freeport and started in 1994, employs 20 to 30 people to operate its projects, one of which is another wind farm in Stephenson County. It is part of the Morse Group, which also has offices in Elgin, Beloit and Dubuque.
Besides excellent wind tests, the eastern Carroll County area is being considered because it is closer to a Commonwealth Edison high-power line in Ogle County, Slaymaker said.
The turbines would be manufactured by Acciona Energy, which has yet to choose its manufacturing site in North America. A Spanish company, Acciona has yet to decide whether to build its plant in Galesburg or West Branch, Iowa, said Daniel McDevitt, Acciona's director of supply chain management.
Acciona plans to employ more 100 people at its manufacturing plant.
"Wind has turned the corner in this state. We feel it's (the wind power business) is going to be here a long time," McDevitt said.
EcoEnergy is working with Highland Community College to train people to work with the turbines, Slaymaker said. People trained in similar programs at other colleges are in high demand, he said.
As for the yearly lease payments, the first year would call for a $4,500 payment per turbine. The amount would increase at least two percent a year. A lease agreement would be for 20 years with two additional five-year add-ons. Lease payments won't be based on the performance of the turbines and land owners would have some input on where the turbines would be placed, Slaymaker said.
Landowners wouldn't be responsible for the taxes, as the tax bills would be sent to the turbine owners, Slaymaker said.
Besides adding to the county's tax base, Slaymaker said the project would bring jobs to the county.
Carroll County Economic Development Director David Keiser said the wind farm would be a big benefit to the Eastland School District.
Wind energy was said to be environmentally friendly as it has minimal impact on wildlife and natural habitat. Wind energy doesn't impact global warming, produces no waste and releases no air pollution.
For every 10,000 human-related bird deaths in the U.S. each year, wind plants cause less than one, according to a paper prepared for the 2002 International Partners in Flight conference.
