Gov. Quinn Signs Bills to Promote Offshore & Community Wind

Governor Pat Quinn signed two bipartisan pieces of legislation this weekend intended to expand wind development in Illinois, one to study the concept of offshore wind in Lake Michigan and one to boost community-owned renewable energy development.

Though neither bill has much impact on large, commercial-scale wind development that has seen major growth in recent years, both bills are laudable in their goal of increasing new kinds of renewable energy in the state.

From a press release from the Governor's office:

House Bill 1558, sponsored by Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) and Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston), creates the Lake Michigan Offshore Wind Energy Advisory Council within the Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The council will review the potential for wind energy projects in the waters of Lake Michigan. It will be chaired by the director of the IDNR and will be made up of representatives from state agencies and organizations that include environmental, tourism, education and energy entities.

"Offshore wind power provides our communities an incredible opportunity for clean and efficient energy, and helps our state achieve its energy independence goals,” Gabel said. “With this unique opportunity, however, comes new challenges, and it is important that we undertake this process to set the right guidelines from the start. I would like to thank Governor Quinn for signing this into law."

After examining wildlife impact, protected habitats and recreational uses of Lake Michigan, the council will identify locations that would be appropriate for offshore wind development. The council will present its recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by June 30, 2012. The law goes into effect immediately.

The concept of building an offshore wind project in Lake Michigan was first floated by a community group in Evanston a few years back, but the idea was stymied because the proper permitting authority for such a project is unclear, as are many other aspects offshore development in Illinois. Further, the commercial wind industry expressed little to no interest in responding to Evanston's formal Request for Information last year, and many in the industry have balked at offshore wind, saying it would be too expensive when compared to much cheaper on-shore wind opportunities.

Nonetheles, studying the concept is the correct step for the state to take at this time, as a formal analysis will seek to answer many of the questions that exist about the project. Kudos to Rep. Gabel and Sen. Schoenberg of Evanston on the passage of the bill.

HB 1487

The other bill the Governor signed this weekend seeks to promote a completely different kind of wind project. HB 1487 was sponsored by Sen. Mike Frerichs (D) and Rep. Chad Hays (R), both of the Champaign-area, and the goal of the legislation is to promote farmer-owned or community owned wind farms. Though this concept was possible under existing law, the new statute is intended to make it easier for landowners and communities to do so.

Under the new law, counties place voter referendums on the ballot to create "Renewable Energy Production Districts." Those new districts would then have the power to contract with developers and landowners to build wind and other renewable projects within that area.

Support for the law came from a group of citizens in Champaign County. It is not expected to impact commercial-scale development, though it should be interesting to see what develops under the new law.

City of Peru Erects MET Tower to Study Wind Regime

The City of Peru erected a MET tower this week to test wind speeds in the area, a move that could be the first step toward construction of a municipally-owned turbine, says an article in the LaSalle News Tribune:

The study tower will collect data for a year to determine if the site on the north side of N. 32nd Road, just east of the Sandman Motel on Route 251 north of town, is a good place for a wind turbine generator.

If encouraging data comes in after a few months the city can start planning for the turbine and preparing grant applications, said Jim Potthoff, electric supervisor. The equipment will issue quarterly reports. Western Illinois University will analyze the data for its energy-producing potential, Potthoff said. [...]

If the study is encouraging, the city can pursue erecting a wind turbine, which would be twice as tall as the study tower. The city awarded a $33,588 contract to National Wind Assessments of Grand Forks, N.D., for the study. The city bought and now owns the study tower. When the study is done the city could sell it or possibly give it to a school, Potthoff said.

The city received more than $28,000 in a grant from Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation. It also is approved to receive a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. A turbine could cost as much as $3.5 million, Potthoff said.

Peru Residents Not Convinced About City-Owned Turbine

From the LaSalle-based News Tribune:

Peru city leaders can expect some resistance next year to their plans to construct a wind turbine in Dimmick Township.

La Salle County Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a special use permit that will allow the city to construct a 195-foot meteorological test tower to study wind for the purpose of erecting a much larger wind turbine for strictly city power use next year.

The full La Salle County board will vote on the zoning board’s recommendation during its next meeting at 1 p.m. Feb. 11 in Ottawa.

A few property owners who live near the site expressed concerns that an eventual wind turbine could be a detriment to their farms and livelihoods.

Peru Mayor Scott Harl explained the city is pursuing the development of a wind turbine, but must first construct a test tower to see if wind is economically viable.

The test tower will be up for one-year. Afterwards, the city must go before the zoning board again for the necessary permits to construct a wind turbine on a residential property in Dimmick Township.

Metamora High School May Face Hurdle to Siting Turbine

From the Peoria Journal-Star:

METAMORA — For three years, Metamora Township High School laid the groundwork to tap wind energy and cut down its electricity costs, but it apparently now faces another hurdle.

With the approval of Metamora and the Woodford County Zoning Board of Appeals, the school district received a special-use permit for a test tower on a field surrounding Metamora’s sewage treatment plant, about 1.5 miles southeast of the village.

This was to collect data to justify a wind turbine on that spot. Now – after a year of testing, data gathering and getting approval for selling Clean, Renewable Energy Bonds – the school district faces another obstacle.

It appears the tower is on unincorporated land, and according to Woodford County zoning administrator John Hamann, it may fall under the jurisdiction of the county. [...]

However, Mike Tibbs, the attorney for Metamora, said: “The high school asked for an opinion as to whether or not the village had jurisdiction over the wind turbine, and my opinion is that they do,” Tibbs said.

He based his opinion on state law, in particular Public Act 95-203, which states a municipality may regulate a wind farm within a 1.5-mile radius of its zoning jurisdiction.

“The proposed wind turbine they’re talking about constructing is within 1.5 miles of the village,” he said.

LaSalle County Ordinance Could Stop Community's Wind Plans

From the News Tribune:

OTTAWA — La Salle County could halt the city of Peru’s plans to put up a wind energy test tower north of its city limit.

Mike Harsted, the county’s director of environmental services and land use, said based on a NewsTribune story... the city of Peru will be acting in violation of the county’s zoning ordinance if it follows through on a $33,588 contract to put up a meteorological wind test tower on a private property just outside the city’s northern limits along Route 251.

“I’m going to talk to them in the morning to find out the details but right now, they aren’t building anything without getting a special use permit,” Harsted said Monday night. “And there’s no way they can get a special use permit by January.”

The city of Peru has a verbal agreement to pay a landowner $1,500 for use of a field to conduct the study. But unless that particular landowner’s property has been annexed into the city, the landowner will have to get a special use permit from the county’s zoning board of appeals and later full board, which will delay the project by perhaps a few months.

Peru officials have stated the project will begin in January and that the tower has already been ordered.

District 300 Wind Resource Study Complete

District 300 in the far western suburb of Hampshire has completed a one-year wind resource study, and the data is favorable, says an article in the Northwest Herald:

[District 300 facilities and energy management supervisor Dave] Ulm said test results from the first three quarters of the experiment showed that the wind on the site was strong enough to support a turbine but not strong enough to power both Hampshire High School and Gary D. Wright Elementary, as previously hoped.

“At best, the wind could power the high school,” Ulm said. But even that could be a stretch, depending on the results of the final quarter of wind rates. [...]

In late 2007, the school board voted to spend $55,000 on the 12-month wind study that would determine the project’s feasibility.

Once the final results have been analyzed, Ulm said he would share them with the school board and start researching wind turbines for the right fit.

City of Peru To Begin Wind Resource Study in January

The city of Peru is poised to embark on wind resource study in January, thanks to a grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Foundation, says an article in the News Tribune:

Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation awarded Peru a $28,500 grant for the wind study. The federal government awarded a $1 million grant from the Department of Energy to install a wind turbine.

The city awarded a $33,588 contract to National Wind Assessments of Grand Forks, N.D., to conduct the study, using a 298-foot tower with monitoring equipment just outside the city limits north along Route 251. [...]

If the study shows favorable winds, the city anticipates installing a 2-megawatt turbine, which would cost $3.5 million to $4 million, Potthoff said. “We’re getting the ball moving,” he said. ‘We’ve got the land.”

The city has a verbal agreement to pay a landowner $1,500 for use of a field for the study, Potthoff said.

Although a 12-month study is needed, the city will know in five to six months if winds are favorable, Potthoff said. That will let the city start lining up the next step, shopping for a turbine, before the study is complete, he said.