GREENFIELD -- Windmills might be making a comeback in Hancock County as a handful of residents show interest in alternative forms of energy.

County officials say at least three people have expressed interest in recent months in putting wind turbines on their property.

However, officials also are weighing evidence about the drawbacks of wind power -- including possible ill health effects.

Several residents have appeared before the Hancock County Board of Zoning Appeals in recent months seeking special variances allowing them to erect wind turbines on their properties.

Greenfield area resident Mark Wisehart's application for such a variance will be heard at Thursday's zoning meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Courthouse Annex, 111 American Legion Place, Greenfield.

"You figure out you want to leave something better for your kids, and we're probably not going to have fossil fuels forever," said Wisehart, 50. "Electric energy is going to go up in cost, so it makes financial sense, too."

Wisehart wants to install up to two 55-foot wind turbines on his property along Hancock County Road 400 East, north of County Road 900 North, to provide electrical power for his home, about 2 miles east of the rural community of Eden.

Zoning officials have not decided a firm direction on wind turbines, said Mike Dale, Hancock County's planning chief, because experts continue to disagree over their benefits and drawbacks.

In months past, Dale said, officials considered whether to ease restrictions for such structures because of the belief they offer an environmental benefit by generating electricity with less pollution than through the burning of fossil fuels.

Before enacting any such measures, however, they learned that wind turbines in some cases might have negative effects on human health -- especially in cases of large industrial wind turbines -- and might fail to provide as much of an environmental benefit as had been hoped.

Residents living near giant turbines grouped together in "wind farms" have reported nausea, headaches,insomnia and other symptoms that may result from the low-frequency vibrations produced by the turning windmill blades. The condition has been called "wind turbine syndrome."

"I think the jury is still out," Dale said.

Robert Miller, 60, had considered putting a wind turbine on his property northeast of Greenfield. The zoning board granted him approval with some conditions, but Miller decided not to proceed.

"There are a couple problems with the wind-turbine idea in Indiana today," Miller said. "Number one is: The amount of money you can recoup out of these things just isn't worth it to put it up."

People installing wind turbines receive certain federal and state tax credits offsetting their costs, Miller said, but he added that Indiana's tax credits are smaller than those in other states.

"I've basically shelved the idea for now," he said. "If the county and state and everybody gets behind this thing where it's economically feasible to do it, I'd do it in a second."

Adding more windmills to the county's landscape would not be a totally new idea, Miller noted.

"My grandma had a windmill when I was little kid," he said.

Additional Facts if you go

The Board of Zoning Appeals meets at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Courthouse Annex, 111 American Legion Place, Greenfield.