- Wind power is a piece to the US energy puzzle, and is capable of producing 20% of our country's electrical needs. Furthermore, if energy storage technology were to ever improve on a large scale, wind power could take on a much larger percentage!

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction

- A 20 megawatt project like the one we are proposing would reduce GHG emissions by 34,000 tons of CO2 per year. According to the EPA, this is the equivalent of planting 871,795 tree seedlings and letting them grow for 10 years!

Small Footprint

- After a wind farm is installed, over 95% of the land is still farmable by the landowners.

Landowner Benefits

- If a wind turbine is sited on a farmer's land, the owner is paid a royalty by the developer. The amount of the royalty depends on the size of the turbine and the total impact to the landowner's property.

Community Benefits

- Perhaps the most overlooked part of a wind farm is how a community can benefit from a wind farm. States vary, but tax revenues usually range from $9,000 to $13,000 for each MW installed per year. Therefore, a 20 MW wind farm, at a minimum would generate $180,000 in tax revenue for the community.

- Furthermore, this comes at absolutely no cost burden to the community! Normally, an increase in tax revenue means either 1) Taxes were increased, or 2) there was an increase in population. Fortunately, your taxes do not increase due to a wind farm siting, and there is also no need to build a new school, increase your police/fire work force, or add/improve public roads/buildings, etc, like you would need to do if your community's population were to grow. As a result, wind farms are seen as a quality revenue source that communities can spend at their own discretion.

What is a wind turbine?

A wind turbine transforms kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be harnessed for practical use. Mechanical energy is most commonly used for pumping water in rural or remote locations- the "farm windmill" still seen in many rural areas of the U.S. is a mechanical wind pumper - but it can also be used for many other purposes (grinding grain, sawing, pushing a sailboat, etc.). Wind electric turbines generate electricity for homes and businesses and for sale to utilities.

How big is a wind turbine?

This can vary widely depending on the brand and type of turbine you're talking about. Industrial wind turbines, on average, have a hub height & rotor diameter of around 80 meters each (~265 feet) for a total height of about 400 feet. Turbines in this range are between 1-3 Megawatts

However, turbines range in all shapes and sizes. There are ones small enough to put in your back yard that can help provide power for your home, which usually have rotors the size of a ceiling fan and are raised on poles 10-100 feet above ground. On the other side of the spectrum, the largest turbines can have hub heights and rotors of 125+ meters (~410 feet), and total heights of 600+ feet.

As a final note, Sexton has not made any decisions to what turbines would be used for the Spencer Farm Wind Project.

(Click on image to enlarge)

How much power can a turbine produce?

The average-sized wind turbines usually have a rated capacity of 1-3 Megawatts, while larger turbines can be 5 Megawatts or more. As a reference, each megawatt capacity equals to powering about 250 average-sized homes per year, depending on the quality of the wind and other site factors.

Are wind turbines reliable/efficient?

It is true that the wind is variable, and not always available at times of peak demand, but this does not make them unreliable or inefficient. The power grid was created to allow for a large, diverse pool of energy which is produced in different ways. Wind energy fits right into that scheme because it is able to produce energy that has virtually zero production costs (translation: wind is free to use and renewable). Most other popular forms of energy (coal, nuclear, gas) do not have this luxury. So even though wind power is not available at a flip of a switch like other forms, it is still highly beneficial to the grid. Wind turbines do not need their own “back-up source”, which is often rumored to be the case. Since the beginning of the power grid, there have always been reserves for times when power demand spikes and plants need to shut down, and wind power simply adds to it. Reports from the U.S. Department of Energy recently stated that wind power could supply up to 20% of the country’s energy without being a threat to the national power grid. Currently, wind power accounts for only about 1%, meaning there is plenty of room to grow.

What is a Watt/Kilowatt/Megawatt?

A watt is a unit of power used to measure electricity, and is on a metric scale. A scale of commonly used wattages are below:

1000 watts = 1 kilowatt

1000 kilowatts = 1 megawatt

1000 megawatts = 1 gigawatt

1000 gigawatts = 1 terawatt

What is a Kilowatt Hour (KWH)?

A Kilowatt Hour is a unit of measurement used to determine the amount of electricity produced or consumed. It is the same measurement used to determine how much you pay on your electric bill. The current retail rate of one kilowatt-hour averages about $0.10, but can vary widely depending where you live and your utility.

When you see ratings on different household items (i.e. lightbulbs, appliances, etc.), this is the amount of power the product consumes in 1 hour. You can use this to calculate how much it costs to keep a product running for a certain period of time.

Here is an example:

You have a lamp that uses a 100-watt light bulb. How much does it cost to keep the lamp lit for a full day (assume rate of $0.10/kilowatt-hour)?

100 watts * 24 hours = 2400 watt-hours / 1000 = 2.4 kilowatt-hours * $0.10/kilowatt-hour = $0.24/day

This measurement is also true for wind turbines in terms of production. When you see a rated capacity of 2 MW, this means the wind turbine is capable of producing 2 megawatts or 2000 kilowatts per hour when the wind is blowing well.

How much energy does the average home use?

Most recent available data shows the average home consumed about 11,000 kilowatt-hours in 2008. This number tends to increase about 5% each year due the ongoing trend of higher dependency on technology (computers, appliances, etc.).

Safety

Are wind turbines safe?

Yes. All industrial turbines are strictly regulated by international engineering standards (i.e. Underwriters Laboratories, Det Norske Veritas, & Germanishcer Lloyd). Accidents do happen on occasion, but these instances are extremely rare and usually involve poor engineering/maintenance, extreme weather, and/or older turbine models. Technological improvements and increased safety standards have virtually eliminated potential hazards to the public.

What type of weather can a wind turbine withstand?

Turbines are capable of surviving most inclement weather, but sometimes will cause a turbine to shut down for precautionary reasons. As for wind, Most are designed survive winds greater than 115mph (the equivalent of an F2 tornado). But of all inclement weather, lightning is probably the biggest potential problem. A number of technological advancements in lightning resistance have helped to mitigate damage to almost all strikes, however, not all lightning is created equal. Therefore some stronger surges may still inflict enough damage to cause a turbine to shut down and need blade repair/replacement. Either way, none are a direct threat to general public safety, except for perhaps an F3+ tornado, at which point you will probably have bigger things to worry about.

I’ve heard about turbines throwing ice. Is this a problem?

As far as safety is concerned, this is not a concern. It is true that a turbine can accumulate ice on the tower and blades, but verifiable reports of “throwing ice” are unfounded. When a turbine accumulates ice on its blades, the additional weight and changed aerodynamics prevent the blades from spinning normally. The turbine cannot work properly again until the ice is shed or melted, which falls almost directly below near the turbine base. Therefore, the vision of a turbine spinning at a high rate and flinging ice hundreds of feet is just not realistic. The zoning setbacks will prevent any ice from becoming a problem to local residences.

If you are asking this question from an operational standpoint, then yes, this does pose a problem for the reasons mentioned above. Icing causes the blades to slow, which ultimately means less power produced. A number of studies are being done by manufacturing companies to create blades that will either prevent or greatly reduce ice build-up.

Aesthetics/Property Value

How will property values be affected?

There are a lot of variables that factor into property values, so it is hard to give a definitive answer. A recent study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory suggested that wind farms have had little to no significant effect on property values. The lengthy study can been viewed in its 164-page entirety here: http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/ems/reports/lbnl-2829e.pdf

Do wind farms attract tourism?

Yes! Other wind farms have reported traffic and safety problems due to tourists trying to stop on busy roadways and take a closer look. This is a concern to us, but overall the interest is considered a good thing since tourism usually means more economic revenue for the surrounding area business, assuming everyone is well informed and prepared.

To mitigate traffic and safety concerns, we plan to have a designated pull-off area. This would provide a safe place for tourists to park their vehicles and get the best view available, along with provide more information about the turbines and the project.

Will the wind farm create new power lines?

Our plan is to upgrade the 12kV powerlines that already exist and replace them with slightly taller 34kV lines. All power lines on the Spencer Farm property near the turbines will be trenched underground. We do not expect the need for any new power line right-of-ways other than what already exists.

I think wind turbines are ugly.

We have been surprised by the wide range of reactions that people have when first encountering a wind turbine. Most find them to be appealing to some extent, and many inquire on how to get a turbine of their own! But there are plenty out there that share this opinion. It would be pointless to try and force opinions on turbine’s cosmetic appearance onto each other, so the most we can ask is for you to keep an open mind about the project, and to consider what the alternatives would be if wind power was not an option (see chart below).

Flicker

What is shadow flicker? Is it a problem?

Shadow flicker refers to the time in the morning or evening when the sun rises/sets to a point where the turbine obstructs the sun’s rays and creates a temporary (albeit annoying) blinking affect to its nearby observers. Complaints about flicker are rare, and those reports are often exaggerated from reality. Most problems are solved before the turbines even go up with good citing and preparation. The rest can be easily mitigated with trees or installing blinds/shutters.

Does flicker trigger epileptic seizures?

Despite the multiple rumors we have heard on this subject, we still have not found any verifiable reports of this occurring. According to the American Epilepsy Foundation, seizures of people suffering from epilepsy and photosensitivity are triggered at frequencies of 5 to 30 Hertz (Hz). Shadow flicker from an large wind turbine, at its highest frequency, is only about 1.25 rotations per second, which is the equivalent of about 1.25 Hz. Therefore, no connection can be made between the two.

Environmental

Do wind turbines kill birds and bats?

A recent nationwide environmental study showed that an average of 2 birds and 2 bats were killed annually for every turbine studied in the Midwest. Although this is not an ideal situation, the impact is still minimal compared to other forms of human interaction. For example, the bird fatality chart below shows the comparison of impact between other forms of unnatural bird deaths. Furthermore, Sexton will be conducting a number of avian, bat, and migratory studies to assist in avoiding as many fatalities as possible. Turbine manufacturers are also running tests constantly to help mitigate the impacts.

How much water does a wind turbine use?

The only water that wind turbines use are for cleaning purposes (i.e. washing blades), and as a lubricant for the equipment inside the turbine. Both accumulate to a very small amount of total water used.

The amount of water used to generate power is becoming an increasingly larger concern in some areas due to growing industrial, agricultural, and domestic use. The following data table compares wind and solar power to other conventional power sources:

WATER CONSUMPTION--CONVENTIONAL POWER PLANTS

Technology	gallons/kWh	liters/kWh

Nuclear	0.62	2.30
Coal	0.49	1.90
Oil	0.43	1.60
Combined Cycle	0.25	0.95

WATER CONSUMPTION--WIND AND SOLAR

Technology	gallons/kWh	liters/kWh

Wind	0.001	0.004
Solar PV	0.030	0.110

Wind therefore uses less than 1/600 the amount of water used to produce the same amount of electricity with nuclear power, almost 1/500 with coal, and 1/400 with oil.

Would wetlands or trees be impacted for the project?

Wetlands: No. Wetlands, including ADID “High-Quality” wetlands, will not be adversely impacted. There are a few instances where we will utilize already existing access roads that cross through wetlands, but these have been in existence for many years for farming purposes.

Trees: Some trees may need to be removed for reasons of access and installation. We expect this impact will be small. We also believe that the positive environmental benefits of the wind turbine will outweigh the negative impacts of tree removal. According to EPA emissions estimates, our wind farm will be the CO2 equivalent of planting approximately 20,000 acres of trees annually.

Noise

What does a turbine sound like? Will the sounds be a nuisance to nearby residents?

People have different ways of describing the sound of a turbine, but most agree that the most apparent is the “wooshing” sound made by the rotation of the rotor and blades. Everyone has their own opinion, but most who have experienced a turbine up close find the sound to be somewhat soothing and barely noticeable unless you try to listen for them. When winds are at high speeds, most agree that the sound of the wind outweighs that of the turbine. Therefore, we do not foresee the sounds to be a nuisance to most residents.

Old turbines (made in the 1990s or earlier) have given the turbines of today a bad reputation for having annoying sounds ranging from clanks to loud humming. Turbines of today do not make these sounds unless repairs are necessary.

What will be done to verify acceptable noise levels?

Lake County Wind Energy Task Force is in the process of creating a sound measurment worksheet. The exact measurements of the worksheet and its standards are to be determined. Citing past wind farms and Illinois Pollution Control Board regulations, turbines usually require a strict setback of at least 45 decibels (dB) for residences, which we expect to be around 750 feet from the turbine. As a reference, 45dB is the about same sound level of an average refridgerator while standing in your kitchen.

Legislation

How Does American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Relate To Wind?

In January 2009, President Obama passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which extended the Production Tax Credit (PTC) through 2012. The tax credit greatly improves the possibilities of a successful project. Not only was the tax credit renewed, but the options for receiving the tax benefit also increased. Companies are now allowed to receive the credit in a form of a grant until the end of 2010, allowing them to receive the reimbursement sooner and use the funds toward the project. Prior to 2009, companies either had go through a tedious financing process before receiving any funds.

As you can see from the chart below, renewing the PTC keeps the U.S. wind industry growing in the right direction toward energy independence.

If wind energy is competitive, why does it need a tax credit subsidy from the government?

Wind and other forms of renewables are not alone when it comes to subsides in the energy field, which unfortunately is far from being a "free market". The truth is that ALL traditional forms of energy, not just renewables, have received a substantial amount of subsidies or incentives.

A research study performed by the Environmental Law Institute in September 2009 shows the amount of direct and indirect funds that went toward both fossil fuels and renewable energy between 2002-2008.

Among their findings:

- Fossil fuels benefited from $72 Billion over the 7-year period.

- Over the same period, renewable energy benefited from only $29 Billion.

- Of the $29 Billion for renewables, $16.8 Billion went toward corn-based ethanol.

- Of the $72 Billion for fossil fuels, $70.2 Billion went to traditional sources such as coal and oil.

For the press release and complete report, you can visit the ELI website at: http://www.eli.org/pressdetail.cfm?ID=205