LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

News Watch Home

Avangrid: Wind farm moving forward 

Credit:  By Mike Helenthal, of the Star Courier | May 31, 2019 | www.starcourier.com ~~

Avangrid Renewables is still pressing ahead on its plans to extend a 40-turbine wind farm into Kewanee and Burns townships, despite a lawsuit challenging its initial round of construction applications.

Those applications for the Midland Wind Farm were approved last year by the county board, which also was named in a lawsuit filed in March by a group of 16 residents intent on stopping the project.

“We are still actively developing the Midland Wind Farm, as we are in regular contact with landowners and local and state agencies that may have an oversight role as we move this project forward,” Paul Copleman, Avangrid’s communication manager, told the Star Courier this week in an email interview.

Copleman would not comment on the lawsuit, which claims the permitting process wasn’t completed properly and that more time is needed to study the impact the Midland development would have on Native American artifacts found along the nearby Great Sauk Trail.

He also would not respond to rumors that Midland’s development timetable had recently been pushed back because of the lawsuit. He said the timetable for development is somewhat uncertain because the company must apply and get approvals from many levels of government before it can proceed with construction.

“We are developing numerous wind and solar projects across the country at any given time, which are at various stages of development,” he said. “These projects are multi-year permitting and evaluation efforts as we undertake the community outreach, due diligence, and scientific assessment of multiple variables that affect our interest and ability to move forward.”

If constructed, the wind farm is estimated to generate $25 to $30 million over the course of their lifespan and provide up to 200 construction jobs and four-to-six permanent jobs. The company already has signed leases with 60 property owners for the placement of towers.

But the 16 members of the STOP II group say the economic tradeoff is not worth the damage the farm would cause to Native American sites along the trail (more than 60 sites have been identified by Native American preservation officers). The group invited those officers to speak at a meeting Wednesday at Black Hawk College East (see accompanying story).

Copleman said the company also is concerned over preserving Native American artifacts and that identifying those areas already is a part of the company’s site development process.

“Local historical and cultural resources are some of the many variables we need to examine when developing a wind farm,” he said. “This is a process that we do at all of our wind farms, often with government agency input and oversight. We’ve already begun the process to engage the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.”

He said the preliminary site work for the Midland wind farm showed the Henry County location would be a good one. He said it has several variables that put it at the top of the list of possible sites.

“It is important that a wind farm fit with the existing uses of the land, and given the area’s significant agricultural use, road network, and existing energy grid infrastructure, we feel this could be a good place for a wind farm, but still need to do the requisite homework in consultation with experts on a range of issues.”

Source:  By Mike Helenthal, of the Star Courier | May 31, 2019 | www.starcourier.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon