County officials earnestly tackle their wind farm studies | Belvidere Daily Republican

 

Committee Chairman Marshall Newhouse gave a detailed power point presentation that included photos, graphics and plenty of the written word.

His subject was decommissioning of wind turbines, what happens to the 450-plus-foot-tall structures once they have outlived their usefulness. That is one issue likely to command a lot of attention should Mainstream Renewable Power file its request for a special use permit later this year. Mainstream is hoping to build upwards of 100 turbines on 8,000 acres in northeastern Boone County….

Related costs should be reviewed every five years and adjusted for inflation, he said.

He saw a minimum engineering quote of $500,000 per turbine to do the work. A large crane needed to dismantle the windmill rents for $70,000 a month, which he termed “the driving factor for these costs.” But those are today’s dollars and a wind turbine typically lasts 20 years or more.

Hunt has setbacks

There was no immediate answer, though Hunt said 1.1 times the height of the turbine “is pretty consistent throughout all the ordinances” she studied. “The natural gas people recommend 1,600 feet from gas lines,” she added. “I think our ordinance will have all considerations covered.”

Click on the following to read all of the story:  County officials earnestly tackle their wind farm studies | Belvidere Daily Republican