The county is being looked at by two different companies for large wind farms, one by Oelwein and another in the northwestern corner. Both projects are considered to be in the preliminary phases.

"It'll certainly change the landscape," said Chuck Gray, the clerk for Bethel Township, where one of the projects is located.

The first project is proposed by Invenergy, a renewable energy company based in Chicago. The firm has acquired rights to more than 17,000 acres between Arlington and Oelwein for the proposed Brush Creek Wind Farm.

"It'll be good for the area," said Dave Burrack, a farmer near Arlington.

Burrack, who has been coordinating the wind farm effort, said some people in the area are worried the turbines may interfere with crop dusting in the summer or disrupt drainage tiling in the ground.

He said wind farms need enough wind, adequate electrical transmission and enough land for the farm. A 100 megawatt farm needs about 8,000 to 10,000 acres to work well. This project is slated to be much larger, he said. The land needed for each wind turbine, about half an acre, will be leased from the landowner by Invenergy.

Calls to Invenergy officials weren't returned before press deadline.

A second project, in Bethel Township west of Hawkeye, is proposed by Renewable Power Markets Access of West Des Moines.

The company has two other farms in Iowa running near Joice and Kensett.

Gray, a farmer in the area, said the group set up a meteorological tower to measure the winds several months ago before proceeding to get permission from landowners to build the towers.

"They're producing enough wind to proceed with it," Gray said.

Gray said his land is signed up to get at least one turbine. The project is expected to take up more than 4,500 acres in Fayette County. RPMA officials plan on putting the turbines next to fences and access roads so they won't break up farm sections or disturb tiling too much.

Both farms are scheduled to be active by 2010. Before either project gets off the ground, studies of the area's electrical transmission lines need to be finished and approval given by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Burrack said he wasn't certain whether the projects were a lock for the county yet. About 20 percent of most wind projects proposed don't come to fruition, he said.

"I wouldn't even wager a guess," Burrack said. "We have no idea where we stand in that respect."

Locally, the Fayette County Board of Supervisors wants to have some say in the matter as well.

Supervisor Mike Kennedy said the county is planning on drafting an ordinance for wind turbines. The county zoning department is working on a preliminary version now, he said.