There are limited details on this recent case however the highlighted statements may provide some insight to the denied wind turbine application.
The second to last article indicates the vote was six to six (a tie is a defeat) and possibly financial issues were a factor in the decision.
NOTE-- Last Article: Logan County approved a wind farm in 2012. The project was delayed by financial issues.
Logan County rejects wind farm plan
2015-01-24T18:00:00Z Logan County rejects wind farm plan The Southern
January 24, 2015 6:00 pm
DECATUR — Logan County officials have rejected a plan to place 81 wind turbines in the southern portion of the county.
The $400 million wind farm project was one vote short of approval by the county board Thursday. Construction on the turbines would have begun in the spring had it been approved.
The (Decatur) Herald and Review reported that supporters say a project would have brought in nearly $2.5 million in revenues during the first year of operation. But others posed questions about the company that would construct the turbines as well as potential health issues from the turbines noises.
Board Chair David Helpner said he and other board members worked hard to learn all they could about the project.
-- The Associated Press
Above is from: http://thesouthern.com/ap/state/logan-county-rejects-wind-farm-plan/article_4a5e4487-7ad1-5ebc-9608-d617383b669c.html
:
Credit: Kevin Barlow | January 13, 2015 | www.pantagraph.com ~~
MOUNT PULASKI — The Logan County Board is expected to decide on a proposed wind farm for the county, but will do so without a recommendation from the county’s Zoning Board of Appeals.
The board will meet in a workshop session Thursday night at the Logan County Courthouse and is expected to discuss the proposed Meridien Wind Farm, a $400 million project that, if approved, would include 81 turbines located south and west of Mount Pulaski, stretching from Broadwell to Elkhart.
Following three public hearings on the project before the ZBA in Mount Pulaski, the four members voted 2 to 2 on whether the project should be allowed to go forward. At least three members need to vote in favor of a recommendation before one can be forwarded to the full county board that has final say regardless of the ZBA’s vote.
ZBA Chairman Doug Thompson, who voted against the recommendation, said during the public hearings there was a lack of support for the project and he heard only opposition to the project from local residents.
“We know there are a lot of concerns in the community and this, in a way, passes that feeling on to the county board,” he said.
The project is being developed by Relight US Corp, a Delaware-based company. Relight spokesman Robert Paladino previously told the ZBA the county would receive about $2.44 million in property taxes during the first year of operation and more than $61 million over a 25-year period. A number of concerns, including the impact on property values, potential noise problems, shadow flicker issues, and a decreased quality of living experience were discussed during the public forums.
“We have always been willing to work with our neighbors on these issues both prior to, during and after construction of the towers,” said Paladino.
If built, the towers are expected to be about 300 feet high and the tips of the blades would reach 491 feet from the ground. Towers could not be built within 600 feet of a road or 1,000 feet from any residence.
If approved, construction could begin in the spring, Paladino said.
The full county board is scheduled to meet in a voting session Jan. 22 at the Logan County Safety Complex.
Above is from: Logan County Board to decide wind farm fate | Wind Energy News
Who is Relight?
Relight US Corp. organized under Meridien LLC., a Delaware Limited Liability Company, has filed with the Logan County Zoning Office for a Conditional Use Permit for the construction and operation of a wind energy conversion system (wind farm) in the Agricultural and Special Zoning District. The wind farm consists of meteorological towers, 81 wind turbines, collector lines, substations, transmission lines, access roads and related appurtenances.
The Petition, Application and Plans are available for inspection in the Logan County Zoning Office, 529 South McLean Street, Lincoln, IL 62656.
The Petitioner/Applicant, Meridien LLC, is acting for itself. It is a limited liability company organized under the laws of the state of Delaware, with a business place c/o Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, 140 Broadway, 31st Floor, New York, New York 10005. The sole member of Meridien LLC is Relight US Corp., a corporation organized under the laws of the state of Delaware and having the same business address as Meridien LLC.
Above is from: http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2014/Nov/04/News/today_HEARING.shtml
Who is Relight?
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Relight
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Relight is a leading international player in renewable energy, energy efficiency and mining: it purchases, develops and manages big projects portfolios.
Relight, consolidating its leadership position in the field, approaches the market with new profitable investments in sustainable development, becoming the reference point for each subject interested in business with environmental, ethical and social features.
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Wind and pv development, Mining, Led applications
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Website
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Company Size
51-200 employees
7,600-acre wind farm petition falls flat in Logan County
By Jessica Lema
The Courier
Lincoln Courier
By Jessica Lema
The Courier
Posted Jan. 23, 2015 @ 2:23 pm
Updated Jan 23, 2015 at 2:24 PM
By Jessica Lema
The Courier
Posted Jan. 23, 2015 @ 2:23 pm
Updated Jan 23, 2015 at 2:24 PM
Lincoln, Ill.
By Jessica Lema
The Courier
Posted Jan. 23, 2015 @ 2:23 pm
Updated Jan 23, 2015 at 2:24 PM
Lincoln, Ill.
In a 6-6 vote Wednesday, the Logan County Board rejected a conditional use permit that would have brought a 7,600-acre wind farm to a stretch of land between Mount Pulaski, Broadwell, Lake Fork and Elkhart.
The petition came before the Board earlier this month with no recommendation from the Zoning Board of Appeals after they too came to a split-vote on the project on Jan. 8.
Throughout the process, both boards heard a great deal of opposition from people living within the proposed quarter-mile footprint of the 80-turbine wind farm.
While the owners of nearly 100 parcels of land signed agreements with the company to participate in the project, many of their neighbors cited concerns over the potential health risks associated with infrasound and shadow-flicker, as well as the impact on property values and aesthetics.
One particular point of contention offered up by the opposition was that of a ruling out of Brown County, Wisconsin in October which declared an eight-turbine wind farm there to be a human health hazard based on a study of low-frequency sound in nearby homes.
Prior to the vote Wednesday, the Logan County Board heard several comments from the public and from Bob Paladino, an attorney representing ReLight US Corp., the Italy-based parent company of Delaware-based petitioner Meridien, LLC.
Paladino claimed that one of the primary studies cited in the Brown County decision, the “James Study,” has never been peer-reviewed, cannot be obtained and that it most likely does not exist.
“I think the most important thing we have to understand about the references to the Brown County decision is it was a bad decision,” Paladino said, adding that it’s not “sustainable by science.”
He acknowledged that ReLight “may not have done a very good job at communicating with the public,” but that they came into the community with good intentions to bring a project that “Logan County can and will be proud of.”
Several residents of the Mount Pulaski area then took to the microphone to voice their concerns and opposition.
At one point, Cheryl Martin, a Certified Public Accountant from Mount Pulaski, brought forward the results of a background check she conducted on Paladino.
She went down the list of companies on his resume, which he provided to the Board at the previous meeting.
“A lot of the things were true,” she began. “Jasper Energy is a company formed by Mr. Paladino. However, the website no longer has a telephone number that’s valid and their registration with the State of Delaware is no longer valid.”
She said that he was president of another company that filed for bankruptcy during his tenure. She went on to discuss the finances of ReLight Corp., claiming they have a total capitalization of $750,000.
Page 2 of 2 - “I guess my question, as a CPA, is, according to Mr. Paladino this is a 400 million dollar project, how does a company with $750,000 in capitalization get the financing or investors to do a 400 million dollar project?” she asked.
“I have concerns that the project gets started and can’t be completed because of financial restrictions.”
She concluded, “You have to look at the representations being made and the promises made to these citizens who are putting their livelihood and their homes in risk in this farm and know why these big concerns are there.”
Paladino began his rebuttal by saying, “This isn’t supposed to be about me, but since my name was brought up I’ll address it.” He said that Jasper Energy, LLC. is no longer incorporated in Delaware because, like him, it’s moving to Florida.
He went on to cite several studies that the company has provided for the Board and told members that they have to ignore the anecdotal claims against wind turbines.
“They’re voodoo. They’re nothing. You cannot make public policy decisions on these. Look at the science,” he said.
Before the vote, Board members Chuck Ruben, Pat O’Neill, and David Hepler voiced their support of the project.
Chairman Hepler said he thought it would be a “tremendous benefit” to the county.
Ultimately, the amended motion to approve the conditional use of the land failed for lack of a majority vote.
As the room was clearing out, several residents of Mount Pulaski stopped at the railing that separated them from the board and thanked the members who voted against the project.
Read more: http://www.lincolncourier.com/article/20150123/News/150129747#ixzz3Py9jEV5e
This is not Logan County’s first application—Sugar Creek Wind One Farms, a 175 MW project was permitted in 2012 with actual construction delayed until 2014.
Above from: http://renewableenergy.illinoisstate.edu/downloads/databases/062514%20Permitted%20Wind%20Farms%20in%20IL.pdf
Logan County wind farm construction delayed 2 years - News - Lincoln Courier - Lincoln, IL
The $1.5 million Logan County was expecting to collect this year in permit fees from the construction of a planned wind farm won’t materialize. Work on the wind farm has been delayed at least two years.
It’s frustrating news for the county. The permit fees from Sugar Creek Wind Farm One construction have been seen as the salve to cover painful trial costs for Christopher and Jason Harris, brothers accused to killing a Beason family in 2009.
Stan Komperda, project manager for Sugar Creek Wind Farm One, said Friday that declining electricity demand and the overall outlook of the economy have slowed the project’s progress.
“We are moving forward, but it is at a slower pace than what we had originally hoped for,” Komperda said. “Really, the economy is what’s driving it. If we have a quick economic turnaround, and unemployment goes down and the factories get up and running again, that’s a much higher power demand and that’s going to change things fast.”
The Logan County Board had expected to start seeing revenue from construction permit fees come trickling in this year, and construction to begin at the site next summer.
Komperda said that, as of now, construction isn’t expected to begin until sometime in 2014.
When asked what can be done to help offset the lost projected funds, Logan County Board finance chairman Chuck Ruben grinned optimistically and threw his arms out to his sides.
In the dark
Read more of this article: http://www.lincolncourier.com/article/20120724/News/307249952/?Start=2
