June 22, 2011
Illinois

N. Boone School Board holds off on wind farm support

By Betsy Lopez, www.rrstar.com 22 June 2011

POPLAR GROVE – The North Boone School District Board of Education tabled a resolution of support for Mainstream Renewable Energy’s proposed wind farm project until the board’s July meeting.

The move, made Monday night, comes on the heels of the Irish firm’s June 14 community open house to explain its anticipated $400 million wind turbine development in northern Boone County. Matt Boss, development manager at Mainstream, told the Register Star last week that the project could generate $1.55 million in annual property taxes by 2015.

Officials from the company who met with district leaders last fall and this spring sought a letter of support from the board for their work, North Boone Superintendent Steve Baule said.

“They’d like the district and the board to make a public display of support for the project due to the pretty significant tax revenue that’s potentially out there,” Baule said. “The board is at least considering that. The issue, from the board’s standpoint, is there’s more than $1 million dollars in revenue here, and we need to look at how that impacts other pieces of the pie, so to speak.

“The firm is hoping that the district’s support, the board’s support, the teachers’ support will look favorable when they go for permits.”

The board heard from a handful of residents who are against the alternative energy work Mainstream is researching in the county.

Mainstream officials began studying Boone County as a potential wind farm site in 2009 and discussed plans in January with county leaders. Officials expect to apply for the necessary permits next year to erect the turbines in 2013 at the earliest.

The company says the 200-megawatt project would supply enough electricity to meet the needs of more than 50,000 homes a year and negotiations with landowners are ongoing to secure additional acreage for the wind farm.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/06/22/n-boone-school-board-holds-off-on-wind-farm-support/