Lee County OKs wind turbine project
By CHASE CASTLE Shaw Newspapers
DIXON – The winds of approval blew east Tuesday as the Lee County Board sanctioned 18 potential wind turbines, leaving DeKalb County the last word on a proposed wind farm project that would bring 151 turbines to the region.
NextEra Energy Resources, through subsidiary FPL Energy Illinois Wind, wants to build and operate a 151 turbine wind farm in portions of DeKalb and Lee counties. If given approval, the company wants to start work on access roads and underground cabling in May and install turbines in August, NextEra spokeswoman Mary Wells told the Daily Chronicle last month. The company hopes to be operational by December, she added.
If DeKalb County gives its OK, the turbines will be built in Alto and Willow Creek townships in Lee County and in portions of Afton, Clinton, Milan and Shabbona townships in DeKalb County.
A public hearing will start at 7 p.m. today for the DeKalb County portion of the project, at the DeKalb County Health Department. The DeKalb County Zoning and Planning Committee will likely take up the issue in March, and the county board is expected to consider the proposal in April.
In Lee County, the special-use permit needed to build the turbines was approved 22-5 during Tuesday’s meeting.
Lee County Board member Dick Binder opposed the plan, citing a need to limit how many turbines the county can host before advancing another project.
“With our plan, it will become difficult to limit the possible, uncontrolled expansion of wind turbines,” he said. “At what point, at what number, do you think that approving more wind turbines without a plan may be a possible deterrent to the county and its residents?”
Lee County Board members Allyn Buhrow, John Ferrone, Ray Harrison and Jerry Leffelman also voted against approval.
If you go
What: A public hearing about a proposal to build a wind farm in DeKalb County
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Multipurpose room of the DeKalb County Health Department, 2574 N. Annie Glidden Road in DeKalb
