Attorney: Landowners need to control wind farm site plan, not focus on funds
EUREKA -- Landowners should be more concerned about controlling the site plan of a wind tower than by how much money they'll get, a local attorney says.
William Shay of Peoria was among those speaking during "Wind Energy 101, From a Landowner's Perspective." University of Illinois Extension Service sponsored the class that was held in Jacksonville and simulcast to seven other county offices, including Eureka.
Owners should negotiate for final siting approval, which can be a major sticking point, he said.
Also presenting at the class, which was attended by 10 people in Eureka, were David Loomis, economics professor at Illinois State University, and Stanley Solomon, engineering educator with the East Peoria extension.
They described the wind project timeline of one to five years for development, about a year for construction, 20-plus years of operation and one to two years for decommissioning.
Other compensation that might be negotiated in a lease, Shay said, includes a "signing bonus," an installation payment per turbine, provisions for crop damage, the number of feet of cable or of an access road, a portion of attorney's fees and compensation if the person lives in the home on the wind farm.