BLOOMINGTON -- A request for a new wind farm that would be larger than the existing Twin Groves Wind Farm is under review by the McLean County Zoning Board of Appeals.

The hearing began Monday night at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts and will continue at 6 p.m. today at the BCPA, 600 N. East St.

Horizon Wind Energy LLC is seeking a special-use permit to build its Black Prairie Wind Farm. Horizon presented more than three hours of testimony to support its petition for the proposed 333-turbine project, which would be across Illinois 9 from the 240-turbine Twin Groves Wind Farm.

Black Prairie would be east of the Twin Cities and north of Twin Groves. While it would spread across about 35,000 acres in Towanda, Blue Mound, Martin and Anchor townships, the total land taken up by the turbines would be about 38 acres.

The proposed wind farm would generate enough electricity to power 270,000 homes, and the project has an estimated construction cost of more than $400 million, said project manager Caton Fenz during his testimony Monday.

Horizon attorney Frank Miles said the application is not much different from the one submitted by the company in 2005 when it sought a special-use permit for Twin Groves.

McLean County planning and zoning staff members said the application meets the zoning board's eight standards for a special-use permit.

County Planner Mike Behary presented nine requirements Horizon should be required to meet if its application is approved. Among those requirements were approving road agreements with McLean County and the four townships where the wind towers would be located and establishing setbacks between the turbines and homes and roads.

Miles said Horizon has three more consultants who will testify at tonight's hearing. Although the public has been allowed to ask questions of Horizon's consultants, public comment will be accepted after Horizon has been allowed to present all of it testimony.

A third hearing likely will be scheduled for Oct. 29, said zoning board committee Chairwoman Sally Rudolph.

Once the hearings are completed, the zoning board will make a recommendation that then will be voted on by the McLean County Board.