By: Diane Benjamin
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These poles are the beginning construction of high voltage transmission lines to act as major conduits for electricity. Thanks to Pritzker for subsidizing battery storage facilities. This one will be very close to Ellsworth.
Last I heard the Ellsworth volunteer fire department had no idea how to extinguish a battery fire if it happens.
Now is a good time for EVFD to train for battery fires….”An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
We just got back from a trip to eastern Pennsylvania. No windmills. When we drive south to Florida, no windmills. But when we go north Illinois is covered with windmills from about here up to the Wisconsin border.
Even going west on I70 is mostly devoid of the things. Some day these progressive leaders might regret littering some of the best farmland in the world with windmills and solar farms!
Based on the current economic issues the farmers are facing due to oversees/tariff issues caused by the current administrations, I would think they would be happy with the amount of money they received after allowing wind turbines on their property.
What an ignorant thing to say JASON….a real head shaker! Those windmills were up long before this administration. They are up because of the obscene amount of rent they pay land owners. I said landowners because most of the farm land in not owned by the farmer that tills the field. It’s owned by people like me….as an investment. i get a cash rent payment regardless the price of grain. Democratic government subsidies pushed the highly inefficient green agenda not the current administration. So land owners took advantage of the $6-8000. annual rent PER windmill!
You’ll not see them on my land, it would be prostituting to the leftist agenda.
My farm family and I were offered a lot of money to lease our farm. We turned it down. And would do it again.
You’ll often see comments talking about the revenue. They don’t mention the contractual risks and loss of control the landowner has to the energy company. They don’t mention the energy company controls what the lessor can do on ANY of the leased property or that the company may gain an easement on the lessor’s contiguous NON-leased property. They don’t mention the hold harmless clause that holds the energy company harmless from damages it, or its contractors, or its invitees cause to the lessor. They don’t mention the rights adjacent non-particants have when the wind farm detriments the comfort and enjoyment of the neighboring non-partipant’s property – a condition found in zoning ordinances.
We’ve farmed for six generations. We have manged to do it without selling out to foreign investement companies that want to control what we do with our land. Keep in mind many lessors dont live on the land they’re leasing. We have turbines near our homes from earlier projects. They are bothersome visually and audibly. We no longer have a quiet country morning if the turbines’ rotors are turning. They do make noise despite what you’ve been told.
Here’s one example of issues you don’t hear about: A few years ago farmers in a nearby county had trouble getting their field tile repaired that were damaged during project construction. The energy company had earlier promised to pay the invoices. At one point farmers couldn’t find contractors to do the work. They found the energy company wasn’t paying the the bills, and the contractors wouldn’t take on more work until they got paid.
Please note lessors are contractually bound not to express anything negative about the company or the project. There’s more to the story than what is publicized.
Wind turbines haven’t reduced my electric bill. The only thing they have done is increase it.
Has anyone ever seen photos of the landfills where they have to bury wind turbine blades? In about 2 million years they should be decomposed.
Ameren has plans to put up high voltage lines near where I live that come from someplace in western IL. Some more eye pollution to see. Still I won’t see my Ameren bill dropping.
I own leased farmland 5th generation in McLean County. We have been approached by wind and solar companies and turned them all down. Years ago we were told by wind companies that if we put wind turbines on our ground it would pay taxes to the school district and our real estate taxes would go down. That never happened and our taxes have more than doubled since that time for the farm ground. We also have the high voltage Ameren lines near our property. Just another eyesore that won’t benefit us at all.