Public Notice of Hearing for Two Wind Testing Tower Locations

Renewable energy is great – in the right areas. Do you know how restrictive those contracts are? The contracts follow the land – not the owners. The energy company is the one who is allowed to determine if they are going to terminate or not. The time they are allowed to use the land is 50 years!

And – they don’t have to remove the base of the turbine at the end – they are only responsible for making it tillable.

If it’s your land, then it’s your decision and your problem. It’s not like they’re destroying the land. They’re providing you cleaner energy for a small area of land. Where’s the right area? Let me guess, somewhere where you don’t have to see or think about it? Why are you unwilling to improve the planet?

Because apparently people are afraid of things they don’t understand, and instead of learning about them, they just make up their mind that they don’t like it, and no amount of facts will change their minds.

Not true. I’m against them for a number of reasons. Number one for me – is DeKalb County isn’t a low density area. Put a wind farm in a low density area. It offends me – seriously – to be able to see the turbines in the Southern part of the county from Mulford and 72. It would drive me nuts to go outside at night and see those incessant red blinking lights. We moved out into the county to be away from lights. To have peace and solitude.

So savings hundreds of tons of carbon pumped into the air is is less offensive than a blinking light?

Dear Lord, let’s not move forward to try to save the planet because someone has to see red dots in the sky. Now I’ve heard it all. Brian, this planet really is doomed.

And her argument is Dekalb county isn’t a low density area, but she moved to the country to avoid high density areas. Huh?

Poke fun if you will Chad – but go out there on a nice wonderful evening and see how you like it. And – it doesn’t only impact the person whose land it is on. Mock all you want – doesn’t change how I feel about it.

I’m confused where they should be built. I think she’s saying, build them anywhere that she’s not living. Nice.

Brian Czaplewski It doesn’t have to be in the area. Besides – the turbines in question that the next meeting about is only to gauge wind speed etc – I’m against the idea of putting in this area where it would impact many.

Sounds like you have a selfish and uneducated viewpoint. That’s how I feel about it.

That’s fine. Go with that.

Yes, facts won’t change anyone’s mind about trying to save the planet. Brian is right, you are the definition of selfish.

I respect your perspective. Not a two way street obviously.

Fair enough

Facts are good for making decisions. Spin ain’t. Neither are trolls and plants. What part of the county is Arlington Heights and Mundelein?

About 20 miles from DeKalb county. What facts would you like to see that prove wind is cleaner than coal? What would qualify in your mind. I have time. I’ll gladly research it

There are plenty of open fields in my area, and I would more than welcome clean energy close to my home. I would survive seeing blinking red lights in the distance.

I know it’s a matter of preference, but I’d prefer red lights instead of destroying the planet.

@Mac Mcintyre does this study qualify as facts? http://www.mass.gov/eea/energy-utilities-clean-tech/renewable-energy/wind/wind-energy-facts.html#d

I’m also not a troll or plant. I’m an IT guy living in the general area that would like clean air for my kids to breathe. We all got used to that red light on top of the water tower for the trade off of drinking water in the house. I think we can handle these too.

Brian Czaplewski what vested interests if any do you have in this project? Was EDF RE once known as enXco, Inc. and of so isn’t that a French company? Are you comfortable with US subsidies going to foreign entities if there are US companies willing and eligible? DeKalb County has among the largest wind farms (aggregate) in the midwest — how have they performed in terms of actually producing energy, living up to their contracts and ROI in exchange for the subsidies they receive? And finally what revenue stream if any does the county board receive if the proposal is approved?

I would like clean renewable energy to be generated in the general area where my kids live. Thats my vested interest. If you are worried where the profits go, start an energy company and put up your own wind turbines.

And that was my response as well. I want clean energy for my children’s futures. I’m unsure why that’s even questioned.

My question is, why is Dekalb County against renewable energy?

Besides of course a blinking light.

And I’d like to know what Dekalb county expects in return for an approval of the proposal, besides providing their residents renewable and clean energy.

Foreign ownership is not good for your kids, just saying. Learn before you blindly agree cause it sounds nice….

I’m all for these, hell i worked on the ones in Dixon and Dekalb. I wish they would build more. But there’s a few negatives about them, first the human populations around them have higher rates of seizures, they affect migratory bird flight paths and these particular ones are foreign owned. As well as a number of other negatives. Is this enough to out weigh the benefits of them? In my opinion no, many people benefit from them including myself and land owners they pay land rent to

Chad Karol the power doesn’t stay here. Residents of DeKalb County do not receive renewable and clean energy

Don’t worry, I’ll make sure tomorrow that all Illinois law makers know that if you’re for renewable energy, Dekalb county believes you must have a bested interest for a cleaner America.

Ann, where do you think it goes?

Florida Light and Power.

Chad – please feel free to petition for turbines in the open areas near your home. I admire your passion for renewable energy and willingness to look past the negatives. I’m not being sarcastic. I am a firm believer if you feel this strongly about it – you absolutely should try and make it happen where you suggested.

Yes, Florida Light and Power. Those despicable people that are working towards laws in Florida the “Sunshine State” to make it illegal for homeowners to put a soalr panel on their home and have to buy their energy from FPL.

Im not familiar with Florida light and power. Please explain what they have to do with wind power in Illinois. I find it hard to believe wind in Illinois would make its way to Florida. Again though, I’m not familiar with that company.

FPL owns and operates the current wind farm in DeKalb County

DeKalb County residents do not receive any of the energy produced by the wind farms erected in the county. It is sent to provide energy for FPL’s customers in southern states.

Yes your linked comment does provide facts about renewable energy produced by wind. I don’t think the objections raised here and at the scheduled Public Hearing have much to do about the merits of renewable energy. They are about local and fiscal issues related to this particular proposal.

Sean Harold I appreciate your honesty and I hope and wish those who will decide this matter are as honest.

Can you provide a link with info regarding any windfarm in Illinois that is providing energy to southern states (and specifically being distributed by FPL)? Information I find indicates wind generated electricity in Illinois is distributed by Midcontinental Independent system operator and PJM Interconnection. PJM distributes to the Chicago Metropolitan area and Midcontinental distributes to the rest of Illinois.

The wind turbines are always a great idea when it is a blinking red light on the horizon. It is when you have one in your yard, with its constant hum and flickering sunlight made by the blade rotation, that people begin to disagree.

Chad Karol: Florida Light and Power FLP is a subsidiary of NextEra Energy NE. NE provides power for 25 southern states and Canada while FPL provides energy specifically for Florida. The agreement for the wind turbines in DeKalb county was with FPL, hence they receive the energy and it is utilized by Floridians. While it is true that the energy generated goes onto the energy grid locally cared for by ComEd, the amount of energy which is generated by the wind turbines is contractually shifted to whomever the generator deems, in this case Florida. Here are my resources:
http://www.nexteraenergy.com/company/our_company.shtml
And
http://www.dekalb.org/Utilities-Other-Services/FPL-Energy-Illinois-Wind,-LLC-714
And
Google DekalbCounty.org> FPL> FPLExhibit K

We need to take advantage of the winds we get here. This is a great way to add value to DeKalb County and Illinois by reducing CO2 emissions, and sending $ to other states for coal, natural gas and uranium. If we choose to use power it should be generated locally and as cleanly as possible.

Hmmmmm I told Barry that he should go to the meeting to learn about it

Wow no I hadn’t!

They have a bunch of windfarms around Palm Springs. I don’t like the idea of windfarms in such an agricultural county that has the best soil – practically in the world. Using this area when there are less populated better areas to use doesn’t make sense. And I really don’t like an out-of-state company coming in here – again – and using our resources to make a buck.

Exactly how I feel about this bull. Last time it was a company based in Spain with a California office.

Can’t they still plant around the base of the wind tower? It can’t be much more of a footprint than a cell tower.

Planting maybe but there’s also an access road that has to be included in the loss of acreage and then you lose the opportunity to be able to spray (fertilize, weed kill, etc) by plane. The cost of having to do that by tractor is far more costly and then lowers the value of the land if and when you want to sell. It virtually leaves the land useless for anything else

Yeah, who would want renewable energy. What an awful idea. Let’s instead keep the coal burning power plants until we kill the planet.

Wait, an access road eats up that much acreage to not make it profitable anymore? And as far as spraying, you should talk to the farmers that successfully grow around windmills and see how they went about cost benefit analysis on farm spreading the fertilizer around the bases of their mills.

Brian Czaplewski right – that is one of the things I do want to know about. But – some of those farmers may be happy because of whatever offset they are paid by the company. See some of my other comments below. They are basically giving away their rights to the land and have no real control over it. And I don’t know what other details are in the contract as far as if a tower has to be replaced or if they want to expand — what happens then. That part I’m not sure about.

Due to the size of the towers and the size of the fan blades and the distance between each tower, the approximate land use for each tower is I believe about 5 acres. And I do live in the country and my neighbors are farmers and they vehemently oppose these monstrosities. Renewable energy is awesome – but put it somewhere where you’re not gonna utilize or take away another land source. Farm land is not the answer.

And yes Ann, what happens to these things if and when the company goes bankrupt and the govt subsidies are taken away? Who’s responsibility will it be to take them down? That’s right Mr and Mrs Taxpayer.

I contacted the County board a couple of years ago and was told they had tabled the discussion about the moratorium.

What happened to the moratorium you talked about and then backed out of?

PROVE that the windfarm in the Southern part of the county has been a huge success and it has not been a detriment to those living in the area. There has been enough time to be able to capture these numbers. Did their property value go under? Did it bring all “that” to DeKalb County? In the way of jobs, financial input – pretty sure none of the electricity came here. So – what was the benefit?

I was part of the group that protested the wind farm they put up by us. No one in the County has ever followed up with us that are living with the turbines. Not one call or inquiry. They let FPL bully us and did nothing. As far as I know, there has never been an accounting of any sort done to define any benefit the turbines brought to the county. I suffer from vertigo from the movement of the turbines. It has definitely affected my life quality and my enjoyment of my property. Did we get anything at all from anyone to compensate us? No, because we refused to sign FPLs gag order or allow them to put an easement on our property. The County did NOTHING to protect us.

That is horrible

DeKalb County did nothing at all for us residents, but they sure helped FPL.

Yeah, and my kids are autistic because of vaccines. Vertigo from wind farms!?!?! Give me a break. You know, two things can happen at the same time and not be related.