Green Bay area study on low frequency sound from wind turbines?

 

Shirley Wind Farm opponents see ray of hope

Doug Schneider, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin 8:35 p.m. CDT July 3, 2016

A group of Brown County lawmakers has given initial approval for items sought by Shirley-area residents who say low-frequency sound from the farm's eight turbines is making them sick

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The Brown County Health Board declared the Shirley Wind Farm operated by Duke Energy Renewables poses a health risk to its neighbors in the Town of Glenmore, which is in the southern part of the county. (Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)Buy Photo

GREEN BAY - It wasn't the definitive answer they were looking for, but people concerned about potential health impacts from the Shirley Wind Farm have been given a glimmer of hope.

A group of Brown County lawmakers has given initial approval for items sought by Shirley-area residents who say low-frequency sound from the farm's eight turbines is making them sick. The committee is recommending the county seek an independent review of findings saying insufficient evidence exists to link the turbines to health problems, and that the county consult the state attorney general to clarify its rights in the matter.

"There are concerns that our Health Department doesn't properly investigate the windmills," said Guy Zima, who with fellow Supervisor Patrick Evans is pushing for the county to be more aggressive in assessing the potential health impacts of the wind farm. He likened living near the turbines, for some, to "Chinese water torture."

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Guy Zima, District 9 Green Bay City Council meeting at City Hall in downtown Green Bay on Tuesday, April 19, 2016. (Photo: Evan Siegle/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

Zima suggested forming committees, holding hearings and buying additional equipment for the health department as ways the county could better address Shirley-area residents' concerns.

Some people in the Shirley area, though, believe the county should do more than Zima is suggesting.

They insist that the county board should reject a December ruling by then-Health Director Chua Xiong that there is insufficient evidence to link the turbines and illnesses, alleging that it could have negative impacts well beyond the county's borders. They say Xiong didn't follow scientific protocols and delegated two much research work to an assistant they say wasn't qualified to do the work.

"The consequences of this are are not just benign. And they are global," said Jim Vanden Boogart, who heads a citizens' group calling for more regulation of the turbines. "Wind developers are taking the decision by Chua Xiong and using it … Brown County's Health Department is going to be personally responsible for harm to public health across the globe."

Some people living near the wind farm have complained of sleep problems, headaches, nausea and irritability and other issues they say are caused by the turbines and low-frequency sound, or infrasound, they emit. The farm's operator, Duke Energy Renewables, points to studies saying there is no clear link between turbines and the health issues claimed by people who live near them.

Xiong resigned in March to take another job. Since her ruling, the county has discussed several options, amid debate about what to do next. Lawmakers in February discussed a proposed task force devoted to wind-farm issues — but saw the idea withdrawn a week after it was introduced.

A recommendation by the county's Human Services Committee last week means the wind issue will next be considered by a second committee — Administration — which will consider whether the county should bring in an independent reviewer to examine Xiong's ruling. Human Services, meanwhile, will give the issue further consideration when it meets again in late July.

At issue now is how much authority a group of lay supervisors might have to reject the ruling of a health professional. While several supervisors have indicated they'd like to overturn Xiong's conclusion, doing so might open up another can of worms, one of their colleagues warned.

"You should defer this to next month and get a legal opinion … as to what you can and cannot do," Supervisor John Van Dyck said. "if you just look at this from a view that is one-sided, then the conclusion you draw is going to be called into question."

The issue has even divided members of the county Board of Health, a panel that previously had labeled the turbines "a human health hazard." Board Chairman Jay Tibbetts, a retired physician, said last week that Xiong's ruling must be overturned.

"I don’t believe this was done right, so it's important that it cannot stand," he said. "It’s going to harm people all over the place. It’s going to harm people."

But new board member Jim Crawford said Xiong's ruling was "a wise decision."

"To reverse her decision would be a step back to the voodoo of the Middle Ages," Crawford said. "The medical community does not support the infrasound theory. Neither should Brown County."

Duke bought the wind farm in 2011. Electricity produced at Shirley, which can power an estimated 6,000 homes, is sold to Wisconsin Public Service Co.

dschneid@greenbaypressgazette.com and follow him on Twitter @PGDougSchneider

above is from:  http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/2016/07/03/shirley-wind-farm-opponents-see-ray-hope/86490066/

New Turbines going up near Plattville, WI

 

 

Seymour, Lafayette County, Wisconsin

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For other towns named Seymour in Wisconsin, see Seymour, Wisconsin (disambiguation).

Seymour, Wisconsin

Town

Location of Seymour, Wisconsin

Coordinates: 42°39′7″N 90°14′58″W / 42.65194°N 90.24944°W / 42.65194; -90.24944Coordinates: 42°39′7″N 90°14′58″W / 42.65194°N 90.24944°W / 42.65194; -90.24944

Country
United States

State
Wisconsin

County
Lafayette

Area

• Total
36.1 sq mi (93.6 km²)

• Land
36.1 sq mi (93.6 km²)

• Water
0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)

Elevation^[1]
1,043 ft (318 m)

Population (2000)

• Total
363

• Density
10.0/sq mi (3.9/km²)

Time zone
Central (CST) (UTC-6)

• Summer (DST)
CDT (UTC-5)

Area code(s)
608

FIPS code
55-72700^[2]

GNIS feature ID
1584128^[1]

Seymour is a town in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 363 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Seymour Corners is located in the town.

Geography[edit]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.1 square miles (93.6 km²), all of it land.

Demographics[edit]

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 363 people, 118 households, and 96 families residing in the town. The population density was 10.0 people per square mile (3.9/km²). There were 122 housing units at an average density of 3.4 per square mile (1.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.72% White and 0.28% Native American.

There were 118 households out of which 46.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.0% were married couples living together, 2.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.8% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.08 and the average family size was 3.45.

In the town the population was spread out with 36.9% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 111.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,000, and the median income for a family was $40,536. Males had a median income of $25,417 versus $22,917 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,390. About 10.9% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over

 

Lafayette County, sometimes spelled La Fayette County, is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It was part of the Wisconsin Territory at the time of its founding. As of the 2010 census, the population was 16,836.^[1] Its county seat is Darlington.^[2] The county was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French general who rendered assistance to the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War.^[3]

 

Geography[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 635 square miles (1,640 km²), of which 634 square miles (1,640 km²) is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km²) (0.2%) is water.^[4]

Major highways[edit]

• U.S. Highway 151
• Highway 11 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 23 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 78 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 81 (Wisconsin)
• Highway 126 (Wisconsin)

Adjacent counties[edit]

• Grant County - west
• Iowa County - north
• Green County - east
• Stephenson County, Illinois - southeast
• Jo Daviess County, Illinois - south

Demographics[edit]

2000 Census Age Pyramid for Lafayette County

 

U.S. Decennial Census^[6]
1790–1960^[7] 1900–1990^[8]
1990–2000^[9] 2010–2014^[1]

As of the census of 2000,^[10] there were 16,137 people, 6,211 households, and 4,378 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile (10/km²). There were 6,674 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 99.03% White, 0.11% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.35% from two or more races. 0.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 33.8% were of German, 17.5% Norwegian, 13.6% Irish, 11.9% English, 6.8% Swiss and 6.0% American ancestry.

There were 6,211 households out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.00% were married couples living together, 7.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.50% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the county, the population was spread out with 27.20% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 22.10% from 45 to 64, and 15.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.00 males.

Brown County still unclear regarding taking a stand on wind turbines

 

 

 

Above is from:  http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/2016/05/10/shirley-wind-farm-concerns-not-going-away/84192080/

Wind energy gains predictability from tax credits’ multi-year extension

December 16, 2015 reve

The agreement by congressional leaders last night on a multi-year extension of renewable energy tax credits would secure several years of predictable policies that encourage private investment in wind energy, industry leaders said today.

“This agreement will enable wind energy to create more affordable, reliable and clean energy for America by providing multi-year predictability as we have called for,” said Tom Kiernan, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association. “The later years of this agreement will provide some challenges that the wind industry will work to overcome with our employees, partners and champions.”
Kiernan said industry leaders are examining the agreement now and appreciate the progress. “If this passes, our industry will get a break from the repeated boom-bust cycles that we’ve had to weather for two decades of uncertain tax policies,” Kiernan said. “AWEA has sought greater stability in the credit, with an extension for as long as possible. This plan will drive more development, and near-term prospects look strong – especially as utilities, major end-use customers, and municipalities seek more low cost emissions-free renewable energy. In order to keep the wind energy success story going, we will need to continue to work with Congress and the White House in the years ahead to level the playing field with other energy sources that receive permanent tax support.”
According to the agreement, the Production Tax Credit and alternate Investment Tax Credit would be extended for 2015 and 2016, and continue at 80 percent of present value in 2017, 60 percent in 2018, and 40 percent in 2019. As before, the rules will allow wind projects to qualify as long as they start construction before the end of the period.
The credit is currently worth 2.3 cents a kilowatt-hour of electricity generated for the power grid. Combined with continued growth in demand for low-carbon fuel sources, that is intended to keep wind energy attractive for the investors who finance new wind farms.
The performance-based PTC has helped more than quadruple wind power in the U.S. since 2008 – up from 16,702 megawatts (MW) installed at the start of 2008 to 69,470 MW by the third quarter of 2015. This is enough power to supply over 18 million American homes.
It has encouraged research and development, construction of factories in the U.S. and maximum productivity, helping reduce the cost of American wind power by 66 percent in six years. Iowa, South Dakota, and Kansas all now rely on wind for more than 20 percent of their electricity; nine other states are over 10 percent. The recent “Wind Vision” report by the U.S. Department of Energy says America as a whole is on track to get 20 percent of its electricity from wind by 2030.
Today’s 73,000 jobs in wind energy can grow to 380,000 jobs by then, DOE projected.
“The U.S. is home to some of the most productive wind turbines in the world because of this successful policy,” said Kiernan. “That’s due in large part to wind power champions in Congress, and leadership across both Republican and Democratic administrations.”

Above is from:  http://www.evwind.es/2015/12/16/wind-energy-gains-predictability-from-tax-credits-multi-year-extension/54958

Spending deal to lift oil export ban

By Devin Henry - 12/15/15 09:48 PM EST

Lawmakers have agreed to lift the four-decade-old ban on crude oil exports as part of a spending and tax package announced by congressional leadership on Tuesday night, according to a GOP lawmaker.
In exchange, Republicans agreed to extend a series of expired or expiring renewable energy tax breaks. Both the wind production tax credit and the solar investment tax credit won five-year extensions in the tax and spending package unveiled on Tuesday, the GOP lawmaker said.

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Lifting the crude oil ban was a key goal for Republicans, who have said American oil producers should have expanded access to the international market at a time of low prices and new competition from Iranian oil. Democrats have long proposed trading the renewable energy credits for crude oil exports, though until recently there was little movement on getting an exports-tax credit package to the Senate floor.
But Republicans were aggressive in pushing to including the crude oil bill in the end-of-the-year tax overhaul and spending bills. Democrats worked to tie exports to renewables in the package, with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) saying Tuesday morning that Republicans were weighing a Democratic offer to accept either both provisions or neither of them.
Export supporters say the possibly of Iranian oil hitting the global market as sanctions are lifted on the country would hurt American producers. Ending the export ban, a policy instituted to respond to the OPEC oil embargo in the 1970s, would help level the playing field, they said.
The White House has opposed lifting the export ban on its own, saying the Commerce Department already has the right to approve exports on a limited basis.
Even so, officials didn’t rule out this week some type of compromise on the matter, implying they supported bringing renewable energy credits into the mix.
“We oppose legislation that would lift the ban on the exporting of American crude oil,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Monday.
“But we certainly do want to see Congress — and hopefully they will in the context of this budget agreement — make the kinds of investments in renewable and clean energy that are good for our economy and have the potential to create good American middle-class jobs down the line.”
Green groups have opposed lifting the ban at all, warning about the impact it would have on the use of fossil fuels around the world.
Bill McKibben, the co-founder of the climate change group 350.org, called lifting the ban hypocritical in light of the climate agreement leaders reached in Paris this weekend.
“Doing it the week after the solemn and pious talk about saving the planet is not like some parent who smoked dope in the ‘70s warning their daughter about drugs — it’s like a parent who is currently high warning their daughter about drugs,” he wrote in an op-ed for The Hill. “You might as well hold the launch party for your vegetarian cookbook at a steakhouse.”
—Scott Wong contributed. This report was updated at 10:24 p.m. 

Above is from:  http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/263371-spending-and-tax-deal-ends-crude-oil-export-ban-extends-renewable

Gates, Zuckerberg and other billionaires to back clean energy - Yahoo Finance

 

Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and another two dozen billionaires are hoping to speed up research into clean energy with a new investing initiative to back promising technologies.
The group, dubbed the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, plans to invest in everything from electricity generation and storage to transportation and energy system efficiency. But the group, which also includes Alibaba (BABA) CEO Jack Ma, Amazon (AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos, Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE) CEO Meg Whitman, and SAP (SAP) Chairman Hasso Plattner, hasn't yet disclosed how much capital they'll be contributing or many details about their investment selection process. Other prominent investors in the group include venture capitalists John Doerr and Vinod Khosla along with hedge fund titans Ray Dalio and Julian Robertson.
Zuckerberg unveiled the effort in a blog post on Facebook (FB) on Sunday timed to coincide with the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Paris this week. The group's aim is to fund promising but risky ideas that governments and venture capitalists don't currently support, the Facebook founder said.
"Progress towards a sustainable energy system is too slow, and the current system doesn't encourage the kind of innovation that will get us there faster," Zuckerberg wrote. "The Breakthrough Energy Coalition will invest in ideas that have the potential to transform the way we all produce and consume energy."
Overall investment in solutions such as solar and geothermal energy production that do not create carbon emissions has bounced up and down in recent years, hurt by cutbacks in tax breaks in some countries and the low price of oil. Last year, governments, corporations and private investors spent about $15 billion on research and development, according to data from the United Nations Environment Programme and Bloomberg New Energy Finance. That was down from $17 billion in 2008 and still only a relative pittance compared to the trillions of dollars spent on energy needs worldwide.
Gates, who has been investing in clean energy efforts for years, also posted about the new group on his blog. He said the effort would work in concert with a pledge from 20 countries including the United States, China and  Germany to double their spending on clean energy research and development over the next five years.
"The renewable technologies we have today, like wind and solar, have made a lot of progress and could be one path to a zero-carbon energy future," Gates wrote. "But given the scale of the challenge, we need to be exploring many different paths—and that means we also need to invent new approaches. Private companies will ultimately develop these energy breakthroughs, but their work will rely on the kind of basic research that only governments can fund. Both have a role to play

Gates, Zuckerberg and other billionaires to back clean energy - Yahoo Finance

Restrictive Wind Ordinance finally passed

The following article and editorial are from The Boone County Journal which is available free of cost at merchants across the county.  See on line at:  http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2015/Boone-County-News-11-27-15.pdf#page=1

 

 

Boone County sets $25.7M budget; slight property tax increase expected - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

By Adam Poulisse
Staff writer

Posted Nov. 20, 2015 at 2:02 PM
Updated at 8:48 PM

BELVIDERE — Property tax bills are expected to increase slightly in the Boone County budget that goes into effect Dec. 1.

The county anticipates a 1.26 percent tax rate, although the actual rate won't be set until spring. That would increase the property tax bill of the owner of a $100,000 house by about $4 next year for the county's portion of the bill. The county's share would be $345 for a $100,000 home, depending on the exemptions. The county's tax rate makes up 11 percent of a total residential bill.

Board members approved the $25.7 million budget Wednesday, 10-2, making several cuts and tapping into cash reserves to balance it. On Oct. 21, the board voted 9-3 to use $800,000 of public safety sales tax revenue to balance the budget, a controversial move that resulted in debate between board members and residents.

"Our revenue and expenses are going opposite directions," Chairman Bob Walberg said. "We have real concern (with) payments from the state. We put them in the budget anticipating we will get them. With this five-month process of trying to get a state budget, we're not assured we'll get those revenues."

General fund revenues are projected at $16.2 million, and spending to be about the same, Boone County Administrator Ken Terrinoni said. The general fund was $14.9 million this year and $15.3 million in 2014. General funds pay for daily operations, including salaries. The increase can be attributed to increase costs in health insurances, wages, juror pay and new positions with the county, and to afford two sheriff's deputies and two corrections officers to help staffing and reduce overtime.

Major funds in the budget include $4.8 million for bridge work. A significant repair to the bridge on Pleasant Street near the Green Giant plant will cost about $3 million.

The budget includes $740,000 for the new Animal Services building, plus $266,000 for one year of bond payments. Bids for construction will go out Dec. 1, Walberg said. "I'm hopeful they'll (be) in line with what we anticipate the building will cost."

the county also used to earn daily payments to house inmates from DeKalb County. But a 50 percent increase in inmates at the Boone County Jail has left no more room to house outsiders, costing about $400,000 in lost revenue, Walberg said.

Budgeting has been difficult for some time, Terrinoni said.

"We never got over the recession of '09," he said. "Our revenues never got better, then add into that the state (budget) problem, then the local prisoner population took off ... ."

In other business, the board approved changes to the wind turbine ordinance, 9-3 vote, following approval Nov. 4 by the Planning, Zoning and Building Committee. The revised ordinance says wind energy conversion systems must be at least 2,640 feet, or 5½ times the height of the turbine tower, away from a property line; the previous distance was 1,000 feet. It also would allow property owners to waive setback conditions if an agreement is made with neighboring property owners.

Boone County sets $25.7M budget; slight property tax increase expected - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Microsoft announces 175 megawatt wind project in Illinois is now operational - Microsoft Green Blog - Site Home - MSDN Blogs

Microsoft announces 175 megawatt wind project in Illinois is now operational

Rob Bernard, Chief Environmental Strategist

 

18 Nov 2015 9:28 AM

Just over a year ago, Microsoft announced its largest wind purchase to date: a 175 megawatt (MW) wind facility outside of Chicago that would generate more than enough energy to fully power Microsoft’s Chicago data center.

Today, we’re proud to announce that the Pilot Hill Wind Project is up and running—delivering clean, renewable energy that will power that facility for the next 20 years. This project will allow our Chicago data center to be powered 100 percent by renewable energy, today and into the future. EDF Renewable Energy, owner and operator of Pilot Hill, estimates that the new energy coming onto the grid will prevent approximately 328,000 metric tons of new greenhouse gas emissions per year.

I’m excited to see renewable energy from Pilot Hill coming on line. Power purchase agreements like this one ensure that our nearby data center will have a reliable source of renewable energy for years to come. We know that our data centers have a substantial energy footprint, so working to power them directly through local renewable energy projects is an important strategy to mitigate our impact on the environment.

We are strong supporters of green power, and our operations have been carbon neutral since 2012. But as we grow, and demand increases at a rapid pace for cloud services like Office 365 and Azure, we know we must work with others to rapidly develop new renewable energy options across the globe. To that end, we are engaged with industry groups including the Corporate Renewable Energy Buyers’ Principles, utility partners and energy companies to make renewable energy more affordable and accessible.

Today is a big day for the Chicago area and our data center. We’re continuing to look for more opportunities to work with utilities and energy providers to bring new renewable energy projects on the grid, for not only our benefit, but also for a cleaner energy future.

Pilot Hill Wind Project in Illinois generating 175 MW. (Photo: Business Wire)

Microsoft announces 175 megawatt wind project in Illinois is now operational - Microsoft Green Blog - Site Home - MSDN Blogs

My View: Boone board betraying public trust - Opinion - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

By Cathy Ward

Posted Nov. 14, 2015 at 4:36 PM

Banning wind farms in Boone County and raiding the county's public safety sales tax funds will highlight the County Board meeting this week.

The board will vote on both issues at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Both decisions will have a huge impact on the county's financial future for years to come and will especially affect children, as wind farms could provide millions for schools as they do in numerous counties throughout the state.

Board watchers on both topics predict lopsided votes in favor of both the ban on wind farms and the raid of the public sales tax fund as committees have been stacked on both issues by Chairman Bob Walberg.

On the wind farm topic, Boone County's current ordinance has a 1,000-foot setback from any structure. The proposal seeks a 2,640-foot setback (eight football fields) from a property line — a huge difference. That would eliminate any wind tower to be built in the county, unless a waiver is given by a private property owner. None has been offered.

Those who support wind farms believe in green energy. They believe that property owners have the right to harvest the wind and that all people and taxing bodies in the county will benefit from the millions of dollars this new business will bring.

The anti-wind farm group contend wind farms are a safety and health hazard. They brought in so-called experts for 10 months to testify of the dangers, but ironically, despite the fact that we have three outstanding health facilities in our midst, OSF Saint Anthony, SwedishAmerican and MercyRockford, and dozens of excellent doctors with medical degrees, not one person was invited to testify or come and share proof of these supposed dangers.

Also, our Boone County Health Board found “no evidence of public health impact” from wind farms.

On the subject of raiding public safety sales tax to balance the budget, I believe this is a violation of public trust. In 1999, board members and other supporters of a new jail promised the tax would “finance bond payments only. The statue allowed the county to sunset (end) the tax when the bonds are paid (2018). ”

Five years ago, the County Board feared this current raid. We passed an ordinance that decreased the use each year of funds from the tax and stated in 2016 (the new budget year) that only $125,000 would be transferred. We also stated that the tax would end in 2018 as promised.

However, this current board deleted the ending date of 2018, meaning this tax could go on forever. They also decided to increase the transfer this year from $125,000 to $875,000.

So far, taxpayers had paid $19 million for a jail that cost $9 million, and we still owe $1.5 million.

It's interesting that board members will be voting on both of these critical financial issues on one night. On the one hand, a group wants to help bring business and millions of dollars of tax money to our county to help all of our people and help balance our budget. On the other, a group wants to ban this business and create an anti-business climate. It's created the certainty of a costly lawsuit and animosities that will last for generations.

Cathy Ward is a member of the Boone County Board.

My View: Boone board betraying public trust - Opinion - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Planning, Zoning and Building Committee OKs wind turbine ordinance changes - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

By Adam Poulisse
Staff writer

Posted Nov. 4, 2015 at 10:39 PM

BELVIDERE — The Boone County Planning, Zoning and Building Committee on Wednesday voted 4-1 to recommend an amendment to an ordinance governing where wind turbines can be placed in relation to property lines.

The vote comes after months of debate and testimony over where turbines should be located in the county.

The revised ordinance states that wind energy conversion systems must be at least 2,640 feet, or 5.5 times the height of the turbine tower, away from a property line. The current ordinance states that wind turbines must be 1,000 feet from a residence.

The amended ordinance must still be approved by the full County Board at its Nov. 18 meeting.

"This goes to the issue of the safety and the health of residents of the county," said David Cleverdon, a Caledonia resident who lobbied for a change in the ordinance. "It's designed to protect them, and the board voted on it. It's a good thing for the county.

The Board of Appeals voted 5-0 last week to support the amendment after eight months of committee meetings. Those opposing wind turbines in Boone County brought in regional experts and people who have lived near wind farms. They cited health issues related to the noise and shadows cast by the turbines. No wind turbines have been established yet in Boone County.

"It actually, to me, was an obvious thing to do tonight," committee Chairman Denny Ellingson said after the meeting. "We had a vote to support all the information that was brought through all the ZBA testimony. Without anybody ever contradicting any part of that, it was just an automatic vote it seemed to me. I'm only surprised it was 4-1."

Committee and County Board member Kenny Freeman cast the lone dissenting vote. He said evidence presented by supporters of the ordinance change wasn't substantial enough.

"It was clear to me they were anti-wind people, and I will not be supporting this," he said during the meeting. "I think it's terrible for Boone County ..."

Karen Kenney, a key supporter of the amendment, said she was "thrilled" by the vote.

"We've been researching for five years, so the last eight months have been a culmination of the knowledge and the information that we have gained," she said. "If you got health, safety and welfare as the crux of your (ordinance) amendment, that is what every single County Board member raises their hand to uphold as they are sworn into office."

The revised ordinance also would allow property owners to waive setback conditions if an agreement is made with neighboring property owners.

"If you want a wind turbine on your property, you can waive that," Cleverdon said. "Then, you can go to the neighbors as well to waive that protection. Then it drops to 1,500 feet.

Deb Doetch, a Poplar Grove resident, opposes the amendment. She said she and about 50 families have a landowner agreement with Mainstream Renewable Power, a company that has been looking to install wind farms in Boone County for about five years. A lawyer with Mainstream has represented their side in the debate, Doetch said.

She said the waiver is "illegal," and if the County Board OKs the amendment, it will result in a lawsuit.

"Obviously it's a disappointment, but there's part of me that says you can't get a fair hearing in Boone County," Doetch said. "So maybe I'm smiling a little because this will force it to get a new hearing (in court)."

"I anticipated this vote," Doetch said, "but I also greatly believe they can't win with this ordinance."

Above is from:  Planning, Zoning and Building Committee OKs wind turbine ordinance changes - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

Letters to the BCJ Editor: 1. Questioning of SA’s gang policy leads to recommending Smith for States Attorney 2. Return to Belvidere’s traditional Veterans’ Day 3. Views on wind turbines 4. Boone County Board’s Integrity

 

 

Veterans Day

 

Wind Turbines

 

County Board’s Integrity

 

These articles are available on line at:  http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2015/Boone-County-News-10-30-15.pdf#page=1

InvEnergy sues Livingston County Board regarding denial of Wind Farm special use denial

On October 9, 2015 legal action was taken against Livingston County regarding their denial of a special use for a 134 wind turbine project.  Livingston County has several other operating wind farms. 

Will such a legal suit occur in Boone County after the county board votes on the text amendment to the wind ordinance?

The complete legal complaint, appendices and attachments are available through Edgar County Watchdog at:  http://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/InvenergyAppeal-151009-PR-Complaint-filed.pdf  (Edgar County Watchdog has many anti-wind opinions but the documents supplied by them appear to be the complete complaint without opinions)

 

Jobs being created through the winds of change

 

Sweetwater, Texas, 225 due west of Dallas, made its mark in the late 1800s as a railroad hub. Today, it's known for the power of wind that blows in off the prairies.

Sweetwater is the county seat of Nolan County, home to 1,371 turbines, according to Sweetwater's Chamber of Commerce. It is also home to Texas State Technical College (TSTC), which has offered an associate's degree in wind energy and applied engineering since 2006.

"If my students get through the program and graduate with no background issues, I can pretty much guarantee they will get a job," said Heath Ince, chairman of the college's wind energy technology program and applied engineering department.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the number of jobs for wind-techs, as they are known, to increase by 24 percent from 2012 to 2022, well above the average growth rate for all jobs of over 11 percent. Still, it's starting from a small base. In 2012, there were 3,200 wind tech jobs; by 2022, it is expected to jump to around 4,000.

Source: Guy Morton

Ron Widup, Shermco Industries CEO

"We have the jobs, but we can't find the people," said Ron Widup, CEO of Irving, Texas-based Shermco Industries, which provides maintenance and repair services to the wind industry, among others. "There's a tremendous demand for that classification of technician and engineer."

Behind this growing demand for wind technicians and engineers is the growing demand for wind power. From 2008 to 2012, the amount of electricity generated by wind increased by 154 percent. Wind is now the fifth largest source of electricity in the U.S. While wind only accounts for 4.4 percent of the total, it could generate 10 percent of all electricity in the U.S. by 2020, according to the Department of Energy.

"I think it's got a big future" said Harold Perrigo, a 33-year-old student in TSTC's wind program, when asked why he wants to be a wind technician. "It's a young industry and it is something that's going to grow exponentially over the next 10-15 years."

The history of wind power has not been without its doubters, or its stops and starts. In the past, its development and growth have relied heavily on federal and state tax incentives. As the incentives expired and were renewed, the industry's growth waxed and waned.

Still, the American Wind Energy Association said the cost of generating electricity from wind has been cut in half in the last five years, and the investment bank Lazard points out that producing electricity from wind is almost as cheap as traditional sources like coal and gas, even without the subsidies.

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Shermco, which counts wind power as 20 percent to 25 percent of its business, has had to work closely with colleges like TSTC to assure it has the workers to repair wind turbines and service the industry's substations. Widup said his company is always looking to hire a couple of technicians a year, at competitive salaries.

"You are coming in as an entry-level job probably $40,000 to $45,000 a year and with overtime very quickly can get to $60,000 to $80,000," he said. "Then in a few years it's not uncommon to get to six figures pretty quickly in this field."

Source: Guy Morton

Students in Wind Energy program at Texas State Technical College in Sweetwater, TX.

Thirty-four-year-old Jeremy Brackenridge joined Shermco a few months ago. A veteran of the oil and gas industry, he is going through in-house training to become a wind technician. It is a job that pays him more than he was earning fixing gas turbines.

"I'm making about 10 percent more than I was," he said.

Brackenridge also expects to make a career at Shermco. He bounced around after high school working odd jobs, and in manufacturing and oil and gas before landing in wind. He hopes to become a project manager.

Source: Guy Morton

Jeremy Brackenridge, Shermco Industries wind turbine technician

For others like Perrigo, school is the path to getting into the industry. He relocated to Texas from Pennsylvania, where he worked in retail. He has a semester and a half to go before he graduates from TSTC with an associates degree in applied science degree in wind energy.

Ince said the industry is looking for people who can read schematics and have good electrical and mechanical skills. He said he meets with industry representatives once a year to make sure he is teaching his students what the industry tells him their future employees need to know.

 

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"We start off with them with just a basic introduction to wind energy," Ince said. "And then we elevate from there. We start talking about hydraulics, we teach them hydraulic schematics, we teach them some industrial automation."

The school also makes sure the students can handle a critical part of the job, working a couple of hundred feet off the ground. You can't have a fear of heights if your career takes you where the wind blows.

Mary ThompsonCNBC Reporter

Jobs being created through the winds of change