An energy and environmental consultant hired by opponents of the proposed White Oak Wind Energy Center maintains Invenergy Wind LLC fails to meet several requirements for a special-use permit for the wind farm. Tom Hewson of Energy Ventures Analysis Inc., Arlington, Va., spoke to the McLean County Zoning Board of Appeals during a hearing Wednesday night. He said the proposed 100-turbine wind farm in McLean and Woodford counties would be a detriment to the public because of noise levels and visibility. Hewson said he did a “simple approach” simulation of one turbine to see how far a person had to be away from the turbine before it complied with Illinois’ noise regulations. “At 750 feet away, it exceeded the range,” he said, noting that three property owners have asked for waivers to allow a turbine in about that range. Hewson said it wasn’t until a person was 1,200 feet away from the turbine that the noise met Illinois’ requirements.

Residents of Benson say they are not opposed to having a wind farm in their community but would prefer them to be at least a mile and half outside the village limits. At a meeting of Woodford County's Conservation, Planning and Zoning Committee on Tuesday, a Village Board representative presented a letter asking the county to insert a 1.5-mile setback radius surrounding Benson to the wind farm permit.

Citizens for the Protection of Libertyville addressed the Village Board at its last meeting over their concerns about a wind turbine operating near their residences. Dave Gates, a member of Citizens for the Protection of Libertyville, said the group is upset over a 120-foot wind turbine located at Aldridge Electric, 844 E. Rockland Road, within 250-feet of their homes.

In August, Union Ridge Wind, opponents of the Railsplitter Wind Farm, did file a court appeal on the conditional use of agriculture-zoned land for the construction of a wind farm. The Logan County Board granted the conditional use to Railsplitter Wind Farm and Horizon Wind Energy in July. The appeal would need to be dropped before the county would sign one of the agreements necessary for meeting the conditions set forth by the Logan County Zoning Board of Appeals and accepted by the county board in July.

There is no mistaking where Bill Welty stands - the signs at the end of his driveway say it all - "No Wind Farms." The placards at the edge of Welty's Chana Road property, just south of state Route 64 in rural Ogle County, also feature a turbine circled in red, a line slashing through the middle. When he and his wife, Judy, moved from suburban Chicago three years ago to retire on Judy's parents' family farm, they came to enjoy their 230 acres of unspoiled prairie landscape. Now, with two separate wind-energy companies eyeing the county's rolling ridge lines, they face the prospect of 50 to 100 wind towers sprouting up all around them - ugly, noisy, bad-for-your health wind towers, Welty says.

DeKalb County Board Member Mike Haines addressed the Genoa City Council last week asking for feedback on two issues: a133-unit windmill operation proposed by NextEra Energy Resources, and a solution to the county's need for more landfill space. ..."All the tough decisions are when there's no right or wrong answer," Haines said. "There will be good people on both sides of the issue."

Mayor Herb Arbuckle and other members of the council expressed concern that land taken up by wind turbines could have detrimental effects on economic growth and development, property values because of obstructed views, noise or light pollution and possible electronic and radio interference that could affect emergency radio signals. "We've got to look 20 to 30 years down the road when we consider this," Arbuckle said. Council member Dick Jones said looking down the road, he can see the turbines harming residential property development west of town.

Bill Durdan has farmed northeast of Grand Ridge for 43 years and often relied on crop dusters. Now, however, he has been told his proximity to wind turbine towers will prevent him from receiving that service. The cost to him could be lost crops and lost revenue, he told the La Salle County Zoning Board of Appeals Tuesday evening. ...Kim Schertz of Hudson, who works in her husband's crop dusting business, said the problem is pilots simply can not safely pull up and make the necessary turns in a wind farm area. "These guys are good, but they're not kamikazes."

A dozen people voiced objections to a proposed wind farm Wednesday, including a Delavan man who says his house will be surrounded by 15 wind towers if the project is approved. "I can look out of every window in my home and see a wind tower," said Rod Egli of the Rail Splitter Wind Farm proposed by Houston-based Horizon Wind Energy LLC. "This will definitely light my backyard up with flashing red lights," he said, adding that three of the towers would be placed about 2,500 feet away from his house. Egli was one of 12 people, mostly from Delavan, who spoke out against the wind farm during a Tazewell County Zoning Board of Appeals meeting Wednesday night.

Beth Einsele of Shabbona doesn't have one nice thing to say about windmill farms. They're dinosaurs, the Realtor said about the rows of typically white whooshing turbines. They're offensive to home buyers. They're dangerous. They don't produce anything. ...Not surprisingly, Einsele is among those opposing a 151 turbine wind farm proposed for ...DeKalb and Lee counties. The project is proposed by Florida Power & Light Energy Illinois Wind LLC.

A grassroots group has sued to stop development of the Streator Cayuga Ridge South Wind Farm in Livingston County. "We are concerned not only for our interests, but we are concerned with the interest of safety and health of the county's population," said one of the plaintiffs, Cheryl Tate of Blackstone. People Protecting Cayuga Ridge and 12 individuals are listed on the lawsuit aimed at preventing construction of a $1.5 billion, 155-turbine project spread across 15,000 acres between the communities of Odell and Emington.

Industrial Wind Action Group, a nationally based grass-roots effort, claims companies are exaggerating the amount of megawatts wind farm projects can produce by giving maximum output figures instead of more concise estimates.

The wind farm debate that has raged across America has landed on Chicago's doorstep. Folks in quiet, rural DeKalb County are raising a ruckus at the possibility of 400-foot turbines next to their orchards, honeybees and livestock. About 700 people gathered in a high school gymnasium at 9 a.m. on a recent Saturday for a public hearing on the proposed wind farm. By the time the project developer had fielded every question and concern, it was 4 a.m. Sunday.

Citizens for Protection of Libertyville scored another victory in court this morning. Judge Mitchell Hoffman issued a 2nd temporary restraining order against Aldridge Electric and DPR Investments LLC that shut down the turbine until July 14, 2009. Citizens for Protection of Libertyville, a group of neighbors who live in the surrounding area, are suing the Village of Libertyville, Aldridge Electric Inc. and DPR Investments LLC to force the permanent shut-down of the 146' turbine that was erected within a few hundred feet of their backyards.

The large wind farm going up in Eastern McLean County is coming too close for comfort for one family. That’s why the Taylor family outside Ellsworth has filed a civil lawsuit to stop construction on parts of the $700-million project. Rene Taylor says she has health and safety concerns regarding the Twin Groves Wind Farm. Taylor says a high-voltage substation and three turbines are too close to her home.

In a lawsuit filed last week, attorney Jack Vieley accuses the McLean County Board and Horizon Wind Energy of ignoring or downplaying the potential dangers of the facility, including high voltage, cancer risk and noise and shadow pollution, among other complaints.

Libertyville officials are investigating complaints about noise generated by a 120-foot-tall wind turbine at a local business. The concerns arose just a few days before this Friday's planned ribbon-cutting ceremony for Aldridge Electric's turbine. The device was installed earlier this month to generate cleaner energy for the business, an electrical contracting firm at 844 E. Rockland Road.

Residents living near a recently installed wind turbine in Libertyville will continue to fight what they say is a harmful presence in their neighborhood. Members of Citizens for the Protection of Libertyville, a grass roots group centered east of where the turbine is located, are scheduled to address the village board today regarding the 120-foot structure at Aldridge Electric Inc., 844 Rockland Road. "Our goal is to get them to rescind those special ordinances designed for Aldridge and start over again," said Dave Gates.

McLean County officials have filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit over a Wind Farm outside Ellsworth. Rene Taylor has filed a civil lawsuit to stop construction on parts of the $700 million project saying she has health and safety concerns about the Twin Groves Wind Farm.

The huge fan blade of the 126-foot wind turbine behind a Libertyville electrical contractor stands still now, a temporary concession to neighbors who find it a nuisance despite being touted as green energy. ...Shortly after the turbine was installed -- about 275 feet from one resident's backyard -- neighbors began complaining about noise, light from the turbine's reflective surface and the "flicker effect" created by the rotating fan blade.