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Legislative winds could blow business to Illinois

Published: January 25, 2011
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A house sits near a wind turbine at the Butler Ridge Wind Energy Project in Dodge County recently. New proposed setback regulations for turbines may cause some companies to look outside of Wisconsin for future projects. (Staff photo by Joe Yovino)

By James Briggs

As Gov. Scott Walker invites Illinois companies to “escape to Wisconsin,” an Illinois nonprofit organization is predicting a mass exodus of wind energy business from the Badger state.

Part of Walker’s proposed special session agenda includes a new regulation that would require wind turbines be set back 1,800 feet from the nearest property line. That would supersede a rule, set to take effect this year, requiring a setback of just 1,250 feet.

“I would assume every company with plans in Wisconsin is leery,” said Kevin Borgia, executive director of the Illinois Wind Energy Association. “That proposal would more or less shut down the state to wind development.

“That’s not something I think Gov. Walker wants to promote — or perhaps it is.”

If it is, Borgia said, companies building wind farms in Wisconsin should consider increasing their business in Illinois. It’s a plea similar to Walker’s efforts to lure Illinois companies to Wisconsin in the wake of higher taxes passed in the Illinois Legislature.

Wind energy company leaders say the southerly migration could happen.

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“We’re already more active in Illinois than we are in Wisconsin because of the current regulatory climate,” said Michael Arndt, director of central development for Oregon-based Element Power Ltd.

Walker, though, is responding to concerns of homeowners that their property value could be reduced by proximity to wind farms, spokesman Cullen Werwie said.

“If enacted,” Werwie said, “this legislation will protect private property rights for all Wisconsin citizens.”

But the legislation also would mark the end of Element Power’s business in Wisconsin, Arndt said.

The company is planning to build a 200-megawatt wind project in the northeast part of the state. Arndt would not say how much the company has spent on the project, but he said Element Power would have to abandon the project if the 1,800-foot setback requirement takes effect.

“There would be no way to viably build a utility-scale wind farm in Wisconsin,” he said. “If the regulatory climate is significantly more reasonable in neighboring states, we’ll invest dollars where those dollars are welcome.”

Arndt estimated the project would create up to 200 construction jobs and up to 15 full-time positions.

Midwest Wind Energy LLC, Chicago, also reported it would have to scrap a 98-megawatt project in Calumet County.

The company has been working on it for three years and has dumped “several hundred thousand dollars into that project,” said Timothy Polz, vice president for Midwest Wind Energy.

Polz also said two wind farms the company has completed in Wisconsin could not have been built under the proposed regulations. The company, though, wouldn’t necessarily consider increasing its business in Illinois, Polz said.

“We’re already developing projects in other states,” he said. “This would just preclude our business from happening in Wisconsin.”

A spokeswoman for Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn said she was unsure whether Quinn would try to recruit wind energy business from Wisconsin.

Borgia, though, said more wind turbines in Illinois would be an inevitable result of tougher regulations in Wisconsin.

“You can’t just pick up a wind farm and move it,” he said. “But if you’ve got plans on the drawing board in both states, where are you going to really focus your energy? You’re going to be in the state with the more friendly permitting environment.”

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Comments

  • Lenny61 says:

    Let wind energy move to Illinois. It shouldn’t be there either. 1800 feet is still not a safe set back for health reasons. Studies have shown that large industrial wind turbines do not reduce SO2, NO2 or CO2. It will not close any gas, coal or nuclear plant. Wind energy increases our electic bills and our taxes. Wind energy is expensive, inefficient, causes many health issues world wide where ever they are erected. If Wisconsin has more electrical energy than we need why are we promoting such nonsense? Let’s be practical and push for more nuclear energy which has no emissions, is safe and is the most efficient form of electricity generation. Take away the tax subsidies and we will so not more large industrial wind turbines taking away our quality of life.

    Posted on 01/25/11 at 5:44 pm
  • KarenJeffries says:

    Just three weeks after settling into the plush, well-servanted Executive Mansion (and that’s another topic for another day), Scott “Jobs, Jobs and More Jobs” Walker has already wreaked enough economic and employment havoc to last a full four-year term.
    (No, it’s not 2014 yet.)

    Posted on 01/25/11 at 6:35 pm
  • GEN7101 says:

    Wind turbines should only be built where there is plenty of wind, close to cities, and low population to reduce emmission line costs. 1800 ft. is not enough as many countries have at least 1/2 mile or 1 mile setbacks. The only reason the developers want less is because Wisconsin is not a windy state so they want to pack thousands of turbines in highly populated areas resulting in making Wisconsin less competitive because of higher costs to produce the electricity than other states so let Illinois have them or better yet windy states like California, Texas, North & South Dakota which are less populated too. The existing wind farms in Illinois have noise and flicker problems and are in the process of ruling larger setbacks but of course the developers or news does not cover the other side of the story. People go and stand under a turbine for 15 minutes and think they know everything there is to know about wind turbines. Noise is worse at night and infrasound (sound you can feel but not hear) can travel through any structure. The sound can not be compared to traffic or other passing noise. Many say it is like a jet plane that never leaves. Wisconsin can still work on clean energy from other sources like nuclear that in the long run will cost less than inefficent, unreliable wind turbines.

    Posted on 01/26/11 at 7:47 am
  • LearnTheFacts says:

    Wind turbines are not a panacea. In fact, they are a good example of wasteful government spending. Wind turbines are inefficient, do not provide economic payback, are heavily subsidized by the federal and state governments, increase energy costs, do not reduce the need for fossil-fired power generation, do not reduce carbon emissions (in fact, wind turbines cause an increase in carbon emissions), and do not even begin to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

    Wind turbines do not belong where people live. They DESTROY the lives of people who are FORCED to live near them due to adverse health effects stemming from audible noise, low frequency vibration, shadow flicker, constant motion, oil sling, ice throw, etc.–many times resulting in people having to abandon their homes since realtors won’t even sign on to try to sell “unsellable” property located near a wind factory.

    Wind turbines are bad for the environment. They kill bats and birds by the thousands. They destroy fertile farmland FOREVER by compacting soil and by burying good topsoil while exposing poor subsoils and rocks. Via the concrete base they also provide a conduit for groundwater contamination. During construction, drain tile is frequently cut, ruining field drainage–adding to the negative impact to crop yields.

    Industrial wind turbines also interfere with radio, television, and cellular transmission and reception. Flight for life services refuse to land in and around wind factories.

    There are numerous landowners who have made the decision to host turbines who regret the decision. Lease agreements usually allow total and complete access to ALL of the landowner’s property. However, the land owners are prevented by contractual gag orders from saying anything publicly about their regret or anything negative about their experience.

    The only thing “green” about wind energy is the money pocketed by wind factory developers and the foreign manufacturers.

    Posted on 01/26/11 at 9:37 am
  • learnmore says:

    Industrial wind turbines are not safe for people, wildlife, or livestock. It is the size of the machines that is the problem. To live down wind of an industrial wind turbine is to live in the storm wake of something spinning that is larger than a 747(or two or three or several of them). These storm wake impacts are picked up by weather radar, and can be confused with thunderstorms, mesocyclones, and tornadoes. Industrial wind turbines’ social benefit is negated by these extreme physical impacts exacted upon the hosting community. The resulting marginal intermittent nature of their generation, for Wisconsin means natural gas will balance the wind load, not coal.

    Wind developers insist on running turbines at night when they cause the most harm, but produce no credible social benefit. Base load coal generation will not be slowed or replaced by nighttime wind generation. Nighttime industrial wind generation is an unnecessary assault on the hosting wind project community. Wind developers insist on nighttime generation for the money.

    The argument that a 1800 foot set back from industrial wind turbines will kill wind projects is a red herring. Wind developers stand to make $375,000 per 1.5MW turbine and $500,000 per 2MW turbine per year. That is if they get all they want, which includes a 20%+ annual return on their wind investment. Utilities in Wisconsin are allowed to earn 12% profits per year by law. If wind developers curtailed nighttime industrial wind generation, returning that “free” resource to the community, that would begin to level the playing field between the wind developers, the utilities, the local communities, and wind project residents.

    Next is how to equitably share the generation income.

    Posted on 01/26/11 at 2:48 pm
  • dale freeman says:

    Dear Union cry babies………….
    Many of the wind farm developers won’t go down to Illinios due to the bad union environment of Illinois. Illinois is hostile to business and firmly has it’s hands in the pockets of the unions. Chicago corrupt politicians spill over to the entire corrupt State of Illinois. Our new WI Governor is looking at helping all of our citizens, not necessarily your pet projects.

    Posted on 01/27/11 at 10:49 am
  • dale freeman says:

    What is learnmore smoking?

    Posted on 01/27/11 at 11:17 am
  • Illinois Taxpayer says:

    Oh dear God! Please Wisconsin DON’T send your wind carpetbaggers to us, we have ENOUGH of our own! Our setbacks are worse than yours (1,400 ft), and our county “representatives” have no consideration for the safety and welfare of those of us that voted them into office, It’s all about the “green”….MONEY that is.

    Posted on 01/27/11 at 2:13 pm
  • kevin Gehring says:

    I live within the Butler Ridge Wind Turbine Project located in southeast Dodge County. My 150 acre farm is surrounded by the project. The wind turbine industry has stripped the individual property owners rights unlike anything before during Wisconsin’s rich history. They have hoodwinked the local unqualified authority, encroached on non-participating landowners and destroyed communities. My quality of life, health and property values have all decreased. The only things that have increased are my property taxes and electric bills. So much for the benefits to the people. Illinois and Minnesota can stand more of these benefits Wisconsin cannot.

    Posted on 01/27/11 at 4:55 pm

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