Watseka, Ill. — Northwest of Kokomo, along U.S. 24 near the Indiana-Illinois state line, the horizon is broken by the sight of dozens of wind turbines slowly turning in the breeze.
There, in the small town of Watseka, Ill., E-On Climate & Renewables is putting the finishing touches on the Settler’s Trail Wind Farm, and the company soon will start work on the Pioneer Trail Wind Farm in a neighboring portion of Iroquois County.
E-On also plans to construct a major wind farm across parts of Howard, Tipton, Grant and Madison counties.
Construction on Phase 1 of the Wildcat Wind Farm is expected to start in October or November in Tipton County with the wind farm set to begin operation next summer. Additional phases will follow in the other three counties.
As Iroquois County prepares for the two wind farms currently under construction and a third that is still in the planning stages, the four Indiana counties need only look to their neighbors to the west for a glimpse of their future once E-On comes to town.
Building for the future
The two wind farms now going up in Illinois reflect an almost $600-million investment that, in return, will generate 300 megawatts of electricity from wind power, according to E-On spokesman Matt Tullis.
The construction work is being done by White Construction and the company expects to also take part when the work comes to north central Indiana.
Tom Downard, construction site manager for E-On, said 49 of the planned 94 turbines have been completed on the Settler’s Trail project.
This is not the first wind farm project that Downard has worked on. A native of Dallas, Texas, he also worked on projects in his home state as well as in Pennsylvania and New York.
Wind farms are popular and easier to locate in the Midwest and on the East Coast, he explained, because of the number of existing transmission lines.
Work started on the Settler’s Trail project in Illinois last November when access roads to the turbine sites were constructed and county roads in the area were upgraded, he said.
“We upgraded the roads with cement to stabilize them so there would be a hard route to bring in the components,” Downard said. “The upgraded roads remain after construction.”
Downard said, in some cases, small bridges were replaced with culverts and other bridges were reinforced to transport the towers and other parts for the wind turbines.
After the road upgrades and construction were complete, Downard explained, the concrete foundations were built to hold the turbines.
“The 94 foundations are already poured,” he said. “There were 30 done before last Thanksgiving.”
A concrete plant was built close to the construction site by IMI so that the material could be delivered within one hour to the construction location.
Downard explained the towers were erected in three, 80-meter sections. He said each tower is connected by an underground wiring grid that is then tied into an electrical substation.
Downard said the turbines are designed to operate at a maximum speed and are taken off-line to prevent damage in severe weather.
“The Pioneer Trail Wind Farm will mirror [the Settler’s Trail] site,” he said.
The business of wind farming
Farmers in the Iroquois County area banded together to negotiate a lease of property for the placement of the turbines.
Ron Kollman was one of the five farmers that worked on the agreement, which assures each farmer the same financial considerations for leasing land for turbine sites and for running the underground wiring.
He currently has two towers on his farm, adding he loses one acre per tower to crop production.
“The company has done a very good job,” Kollman said. “There was some opposition, but most of those people were not from Iroquois County. Several [people] from the county opposed the project but were not involved in the footprint.”
Kollman said complaints about noise and flutter from the turbines is “baloney”. He explained his son in Indiana has a turbine and told him the only sound is a swish from the blades.
There was a push in Iroquois County to pass an ordinance to prevent the location of turbines within 2,000 feet of a non-participating resident, he said. The county will end up with a 1,500-foot restriction.
Kollman said the farmers involved with the lease agreement will receive a semi-annual payment and could get a bonus if the output exceeds a certain level.
“The biggest gainer is the community, which hasn’t got much industry,” he said. “It has added to our tax base. Sheldon Township had $13 million in assessed value, but the wind towers will add $18 million to that.”
Kollman calls the two wind farm projects a “win-win” for the community.
“I’m glad to see this happen, think it’s good for the community,” he said. “There are some inconveniences; nothing is perfect.”
A boost to an ailing community
For four generations, the Visosway family has farmed in Iroquois County. James, the patriarch of the family, has lived in the house for 60 years.
From his driveway, he can see wind turbines on adjoining properties. He signed a lease for the placement of two turbines on his property.
Although Visosway has mixed emotions, he believes in the long run it will work to the advantage of his family and the local community.
“This town is almost bankrupt,” he said. “It will help the town and schools. I really think they’re better in Texas and the Dakotas.
“I’m pleased with the contract we signed,” Visosway said. “We’ve been getting some money for damage to the drainage system, none from the towers.”
Visosway said his decision to allow turbines to be built on his property wasn’t based on the money the family would receive, but on the additional tax revenues that will benefit the county and local schools.
“So far it’s a good company, we will benefit,” he said. “Some neighbors don’t like them, they talk bad about them.
“Everyone made their own decision.”