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ELK RIVER (KS) WIND FARM PROJECT - BEFORE

ELK RIVER (KS) WIND FARM PROJECT - AFTER

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.

If you think it couldn't happen in your hometown, think again. These pictures were created by overlaying graphics of wind turbines over actual aerial pictures of Lee, Illinois, depicting what the small, Midwestern town would look like if Florida Power and Light had their way. The towers were placed in the pictures in proportion to their actual size and in the areas where it was proposed they should be placed.

FPL "gave up" on the project, but others have come to take their place, and FPL is once again active in the area, contacting landowners to see if they're interested in placing industrial wind turbines on their property.

 

This view is from Shabbona Grove Road, looking north along Woodlawn Road.

The town of Shabbona, Illinois, nearby Lee, recently voted to keep wind turbines a mile and a half outside city limits, in an effort to keep the behemoths at bay. The town of Steward, Illinois followed suit, declaring a 2-year moratorium on any wind turbines or projects within their mile and a half limit. And so the battle continues - ordinary individuals against industrial giants - companies who say they'll help change our dependence on energy, when in fact they use far more energy than they'll ever produce.

This view is from Shabbona Grove Road, looking north along Tower Road.

The map at left shows both Lee and DeKalb Counties, and was originated by FPL Energy, LLC. The black circles represent existing houses within a 1,400 foot radius, with 1,400 feet being the distance wind turbines must be kept away from a home or residence. The red circles represent the proposed site of a wind turbine, and also represent a 1,400 foot radius.

If this industrial wind farm had come into existence, or one like it is allowed to come into existence in the future, the town of Lee (just below center of map) would be smothered by the turbines, never to expand or grow.

Thanks to Robert Carlson and Phil Foster for the computer-generated photos and map of Lee, Illinois and surrounds.

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.

 

 
Wind farms such as the Mendota Hills installation, near Paw Paw, Illinois, invite trespassers because of the now-easy access to once hard to reach fields. Farmers have had their property posted, and local law enforcement officials are keeping an eye out for underage drinkers seeking a quiet place to indulge, as well as amorous couples with nowhere else to go. (Photo by J. Arthur McFall)

 

This 63-turbine installation near Paw Paw, Illinois dominates the once-pristine view. The 260-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)

To learn more about wind turbine noise, click here.

The Mendota Hills wind installation dominates the landscape, obliterating forever the wide view and clear skies of the northern Illinois countryside. (Photo by J. Arthur McFall)