November 24, 2007
Illinois

Council OKs wind farm enterprise zone

The Marseilles City Council, which at its previous meeting balked at approving an expansion of the enterprise zone that runs from Ottawa east to Grundy County, unanimously granted the expansion Wednesday without a word of discussion.

The expansion will benefit Chicago-based Invenergy, which is developing the Grand Ridge Wind Farm, by providing it an exemption to state sales tax on construction materials.

The council delayed consideration when it learned Ottawa would be receiving a share of the saved funds – 20 percent, an estimated $1.5 million – and also after Commissioner Jim Hollenbeck raised concerns about the expectation that Ottawa would provide emergency response services instead of the fire department agencies that otherwise serve the scattered wind turbine locations south of the Illinois River.

However, Mayor Jim Trager indicated Marseilles will not end up empty-handed. After the meeting he said a “financial arrangement” between Marseilles and Invenergy is being worked out. He declined to provide details, but said they would be announced at the council’s next meeting.

The Times

23 November 2007


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/11/24/council-oks-wind-farm-enterprise-zone/