Is this what you really want for the state of Illinois? While industrial farms may have some use in areas that have a steady wind supply, Illinois has no business putting in such installations. The industrial wind installation at Elk River occupies more than 15,000 acres of prime land that won't be available for any other development for at least the next 30 years, at a time when the value of farmland, and the crops it can produce are at a remarkable high.

Thinking about putting turbines on your land? Thinking about doing business of any sort with a wind energy company? DON'T DO IT without reading these suggestions.
 

This 63-turbine installation near Paw Paw, Illinois dominates the once-pristine view. The 214-foot-tall towers are visible for miles, and at night their flashing lights make stargazing impossible and enjoying a quiet session on the back porch nearly so.

Wind whooshes through the turbine blades at a varying rate, depending on current wind speeds, and the noise the turbines make varies with it. But if the turbines are turning, the noise is always there. According to a local farmer, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals:

"Anyone who tells you they hardly notice the noise these things make is either a liar or just plain deaf!"
(Photo by J. Arthur McFall)