| July 2022 |
Photo: John Wosik
By Joyce Blumenshine
Future wind energy development for Tazewell County is under threat. A group named United Citizens of Tazewell County, LLC, filed a request for a six month moratorium on all wind energy conversion system (wind turbines) permits and a replacement ordinance triggering a series of special Tazewell County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) meetings in June. The current Tazewell County Wind Conversion Energy System ordinance regulations were used for siting the successful EDP Renewables’ Rail Splitter Wind Farm, which has operated since 2009. EDP was actively working on a second wind project. Invenergy and one other wind company were also doing outreach for new wind farms in Tazewell County due to its favorable wind energy generation conditions.
Both EDP and Invenergy stated at special ZBA sessions in June, that the zoning changes wanted by the LLC group are so extreme new wind developments could not be done in the county. The ZBA is expected to vote on the issues June 30th in Pekin. Videos of the hearings are posted on the Tazewell County Community Development webpage with information about the Zoning Board of Appeals. WCBU radio news also has an overview of the issue.
The Tazewell County Farm Bureau president spoke in opposition to the LLC ordinance commenting it is against the guidelines of the state Farm Bureau.
The proposed new Invenergy wind development is estimated to bring $50 million to the county in tax payments over the life of the project. The county tax payments would benefit local school districts and other public services. The 2020 population of Tazewell County is listed as 132,524 people.
The United Citizens of Tazewell County, LLC, had a petition with 750 signatures and stated concerns about wind turbines. Most of the public speakers from the group were from the Mackinaw and Tremont rural address areas. The LLC has website links and reference sources from the anti-wind energy group National Wind Watch, which has one of its four board members receiving payment from fossil fuel companies. Tom Stacy, on the National Wind Watch group, has been connected to the American Coal Association. He is also tied to the anti-clean energy group Heartland Institute, which has made years of attacks on renewable energy and climate science. The Heartland Institute was founded in the 1980s and worked with tobacco company Phillip Morris to cast doubts on the negative impacts of second-hand smoke and counter health concerns of smoking cigarettes. The organization later changed focus to denial of climate change and opposition to clean energy.
The lawyer for the United Citizens of Tazewell County, LLC, Phil Luetkehans, is on record as being an adviser to the Illinois Senate Republican Party and has had a variety of political involvement. He has been the attorney for anti-wind groups in other Illinois counties.