IWEA Invites Wind Developers in Wisconsin: "Escape to Illinois"

Extreme setbacks in legislative proposal would make Wisconsin much less attractive for wind energy development than Illinois

IWEA PRESS RELEASE (CHICAGO) -- Today the Illinois Wind Energy Association (IWEA) invited wind power developers working in Wisconsin to focus their efforts on Illinois, where Governor Pat Quinn and the Illinois General Assembly have worked to streamline regulations for the wind energy business.

Wind developers have been apprehensive about investing in Wisconsin since Governor Scott Walker proposed legislation that would effectively ban wind development from the Badger State. With these new job-destroying regulations on the table, IWEA is happy to highlight the much more business-friendly climate just to the south.

Recently introduced in the Wisconsin legislature, the War on Wind Initiative would dramatically extend setback distances from wind turbines in the state. If adopted, the bill would mandate a minimum setback requirement of 1,800 feet from neighboring property lines, far exceeding the setback distance from occupied dwellings specified in a rule issued by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.

“Even the strictest county setbacks in Illinois are nowhere near as extreme as what Wisconsin would have if this bill passes,” said IWEA Executive Director Kevin Borgia. “Illinois has no statewide minimum setbacks.”

As Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association, said to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel last week, “it is one of the most onerous regulations we have ever seen.”

“In light of Wisconsin’s War on Wind, IWEA invites developers to focus their resources on Illinois,” Borgia said. “Businesses with wind farm proposals in both states are likely to focus their efforts on locations with the most beneficial regulatory climate. If the legislation is adopted, that location will not be Wisconsin.”

“Today we introduce a call for wind developers to ‘Escape to Illinois.’  You are welcome here.  Our talented workforce stands ready to help you grow and prosper,” Borgia said.

“Illinois is open for business.  In these challenging economic times, while Wisconsin is raising barriers, we are lowering them.  The Illinois General Assembly has seen strong, bi-partisan support for wind energy in the past decade, and Gov. Quinn has also led the charge to bring more wind farms to Illinois,” Borgia said.

Developers in Illinois placed 498 MW of wind generating capacity in service in 2010, and almost 400 MW more should come on line in the next three to six months, In contrast, Wisconsin added only 20 MW of wind generation last year.  

“Illinois’ favorable regulatory climate for wind power will create over three-billion dollars in economic activity in the coming decades,” Borgia said.

According to a recent study by Illinois State University, the first 1,848 megawatts of wind capacity in Illinois:

• Support local economies by generating $18 million in annual property taxes
• Generate $8.3 million annually in extra income for Illinois landowners who lease their land to wind farm developers
  
• Created approximately 9,968 full-time equivalent jobs during construction periods with a total payroll of over $509 million
• Support approximately 494 permanent jobs in rural Illinois areas with a total annual payroll of over $25 million

The proposed wind ban is also helpful to Illinois wind farms because electric utilities in Wisconsin are more likely to meet their renewable energy needs using Illinois resources if wind energy is prohibited in the state.

IWEA urges Wisconsin utilities to reach out to Illinois wind projects to achieve their renewable energy goals, Borgia said.