Information concerning Wind Farms which the county should be aware

1. Back in February the Congress failed to extend the PTC for 2013;  new attempts continue for the extension however much may depend on the Presidential election.  The Boone County project maybe affected.

Wind production tax credit(PTC): Tax credit extension deal fails for wind - Chicago Tribune

|By Julie Wernau

the tax credit extension, which provides an income tax credit of 2.2 cents per kilowatt-hour for the production of electricity from wind turbines….

Among the projects that were expected to get off the ground after the tax credit expires are a 200 MW wind farm slated for Boone County and a 437 MW project that straddles Lee, Whiteside and Bureau counties….

Both were slated for construction in the next 12 to 24 months but now would be delayed, said Matt Boss, a project manager with Mainstream Renewable Power….

Click on the following for more details:  Wind production tax credit: Tax credit extension deal fails for wind - Chicago Tribune

2. Switching to Non-Com Ed suppliers may mean that Com Ed and Ameren will not be able to maintain their commitments to renewable power.

By law, 25 percent of Illinois' electricity must come from wind, solar and other renewable resources by 2025.

But as more municipalities elect to buy power from suppliers other than Commonwealth Edison Co. and Ameren Illinois, developers of renewable energy are losing confidence that their projects will be funded long term. Some have already given up on Illinois.

switching is occurring at a rapid clip. As of Wednesday, 100 municipalities statewide had moved their residents to alternative suppliers, and another 160 had passed measures stating they intend to switch

If the monies available from the utilities are shrinking dramatically, that does not bring about a lot of confidence that any commitments made by ComEd or Ameren are going to be lived up to over the long term,

Click on the following for more details on this subject:  http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-05-31/business/ct-biz-0531-aggregation-kills--20120531_1_renewable-energy-wind-and-solar-developers-renewable-portfolio-standard

3.  A sample of the 34 page contract supplied by an individual who did not sign a lease for a wind turbine for his Boone County land is available at:  http://concernedcitizensofboonecounty.org/index.html

Reema Bajaj: The Morning After(Including revelations about Reema from a friend.)

Sycamore Attorney Bajaj and her charge of prostitution gained national coverage last year here is the latest update.

 

By David Lat

As we reported yesterday, the comely young Reema Bajaj, a 26-year-old Illinois solo practitioner charged with prostitution, has pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor prostitution count. I previously expressed my favorable opinions of Bajaj and my belief in her innocence (despite the existence of nude pictures of her floating around the internet). Alas, it seems that my confidence may have been misplaced.

Click on the following for more details on this story:  Reema Bajaj: The Morning After(Including revelations about Reema from a friend.) « Above the Law: A Legal Web Site – News, Commentary, and Opinions on Law Firms, Lawyers, Law School, Law Suits, Judges and Courts#more-168654

See the following earlier postings concerning this case:  http://boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2011/05/sycamore-attorney-faces-prostitution.html

http://boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2012/08/reema-bajaj-morning-afterincluding.html

http://boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2011/12/status-of-previous-news-posting.html

Poplar Grove yay, county nay on new electric aggregation vote | Belvidere Daily Republican

Written by Bob Balgemann

Grove Village Attorney Roxanne Sosnowski has determined the village doesn’t have to wait. And so officials have agreed to send the appropriate ordinance to the county clerk’s office so the vote can be part of the Nov. 6 general election ballot.

But it’s the opinion of State’s Attorney Michelle Courier that the waiting period does apply to the county. That means county officials, who never formally took up the matter, will have to wait until 2014 if they ultimately decide they want to try it again.

Click on the following to read the entire story:  Poplar Grove yay, county nay on new electric aggregation vote | Belvidere Daily Republican

Cherry Valley solar farm project on hold indefinitely - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

 

would-be developer of a proposed 180-acre solar farm on the eastern boarder of Cherry Valley has withdrawn his annexation and zoning petition that would make the project possible.

It’s unclear if the withdrawal means that project is finished for good or if the developer will reapply at a later date.

Click on the following for the complete story: Cherry Valley solar farm project on hold indefinitely - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Mitt Romney still profits from Bain Capital — at our expense | The Rock River Times

Mitt Romney still profits from Bain Capital — at our expense

Some have written and attempted to excuse Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital and other international corporations that pay little or no taxes, and when the bottom line looks better by shipping jobs overseas, they couldn’t care less about American jobs and lives.

I was at the public meeting in Freeport about Sensata (a division of Honeywell) shipping 170 Freeport jobs to China, last Sunday, and I didn’t hear anyone say, “It’s just the way we do business here in the U.S.” I heard many loyal long-time employees of Sensata — a division of Honeywell — vent their frustrations, anger and worries as to what the future holds for them. Some were in tears. Some had given their all for 30 years, only to be tossed in the trash bin when “offshoring” looked like it would bring a few more bucks to the bottom line.

Some, in their 50s or early 60s, are rightly concerned that no one will hire them unless it’s a low-paid, part-time job that no one can live on. Others are worried about losing health insurance, losing the ability to educate their kids, even facing the possibility of foreclosure on their houses. Retiring with any kind of security or livable income also looked remote.

Mitt Romney is just a symbol of what’s going on in this country, but he continues to profit handsomely from Bain Capital to the tune of more than $5 million just in 2011 in his financial disclosure. “Offshoring” (isn’t that a nice name for company greed?), if it continues, will impoverish this country. They are either ignorant or don’t care that people without jobs can’t buy new cars, electronics, tires or go to restaurants — all businesses that Freeport relies on. The more people that are “down-sized” (another convenient term), the more the U.S. becomes a Third World economy.

We don’t buy it if it doesn’t say “Made in the USA.”

We’ll vote for America first candidates this November.

The 1950s are looking better and better.

Peg and Ray Ruthenberg
Stockton, Ill.

From the Aug. 1-7, 2012, issue

See:  Mitt Romney still profits from Bain Capital — at our expense | The Rock River Times

Darts slow to take off - Automotive News explains why - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

there are several reasons Dart sales are off to a sluggish start.

* Most of the first vehicles sent off to dealers were manual transmissions, which many dealers say prevent those who can't drive stick shifts from taking test drives.

* Cox confirmed Chrysler has delayed introducing the Dart's R/T version indefinitely. The Dart R/T was to be the first to have Chrysler's turbocharged 2.4-liter Tigershark engine. Cox said the delay will allow workers at the plant to launch the other Dart trim levels successfully.

* Chrysler started its Dart marketing campaign with a 90-second ad during the Major League All-Star Game on July 10. Since then, there has been almost no media push for the Dart. The Summer Olympics has been full of Ford, General Motors, Toyota ads, but nothing for the Dart.

Cox told automotive news that a big media push is planned for September when more Darts and more Dart versions are on dealer lots.

Click on the following to read all of the story:  Darts slow to take off - Automotive News explains why - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Most Belvidere Township officials plan to seek re-election | Belvidere Daily Republican

Written by Bob Balgemann

Incumbent Supervisor Pat Murphy and incumbent trustees Bill Robertson and Bob Turner said they are running again; incumbent Trustee Paul Zeien Jr. is not seeking re-election; and incumbent Trustee Debbie Carlson is undecided.

Assessor Diann Helnore, Road Commissioner Rich Lee and Clerk Judy Schabacker all said they planned to run again.

Qualifying petitions may be taken out starting Sept. 6 and they must be returned by Dec. 31. The primary election, if needed, is in February 2013; the general election is in April.

Read the entire article by clicking on the following:  Most Belvidere Township officials plan to seek re-election | Belvidere Daily Republican