Hearings set on plans to build more than 70 turbines

URBANA - A major project that would dot Champaign County's landscape with wind turbines is moving slowly forward, with public hearings on the proposed sites scheduled for late October.

The Buckeye Wind Project is undergoing a review process by the Ohio Power Siting Board. It would include building more than 70 wind turbines across six townships in Champaign County. The project is proposed by Buckeye Wind LLC, a subsidiary of Everpower Renewables, a New York-based developer of utility grade wind projects.

Shana Eiselstein, a spokeswoman for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, said hearings to gather information about the project are scheduled for late October.

An adjudicatory hearing will be held at the PUCO offices in Columbus on Oct. 27, when evidence and testimony about the project will be submitted to the Ohio Power Siting Board. The board also will be able to cross-examine witnesses and ask questions about the project.

In addition, a local public hearing is scheduled Oct. 28 at Triad High School, 8099 Brush Lake Road in North Lewisburg.

Michael Speerschneider, a spokesman for Everpower, said the hearing will let members of the OPSB get a feel for the public's perception of the project.

The comments presented at the hearing will be included in the decision-making process for the power siting board. "It's an opportunity for members of the public or anyone involved in the project to voice their opinions," Speerschneider said.

If approved, Speerschneider said construction on the turbines could start next year.