Survey supports wind plan
EVANSVILLE — Residents might back the proposed wind project in Union Township, but it still faces a fight for the land.
Seventy-three percent of voters in the Evansville Water and Light service area are in favor of the three-turbine project and 12 percent opposed, according to a survey conducted by the developer.
The survey, commissioned by EcoEnergy, was done from April 14 to 16 with 349 voters in the service area. The survey carries a 4.6 percent margin of error.
All breakdowns of the numbers show a strong majority in favor of the proposal, said Curt Bjurlin, project developer for EcoEnergy. Bjurlin presented the survey results and other project information at an Evansville Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday.
One chamber member questioned if the survey asked residents if they would support the project if a turbine were placed within 1,000 feet of their house.
Bjurlin said the “short poll” did not get into those specifics but said about 89 Union Township residents were contacted, and those results showed 72 percent in support of the project with 8 percent opposed.
EcoEnergy proposes putting three 1.5 megawatt turbines west of Evansville. The power produced would be supplied through Wisconsin Public Power to Evansville Water and Light customers. It is one of five community-based wind projects WPPI has in the works.
Bjurlin also presented the project’s financial impact to the community. The project will bring in more than $3 million in new investment to the community: $423,000 during the construction phase, $1.59 million during the operations phase and $1.26 million in lease payments and taxes.
Four landowners around the County C project site have signed commitments to the project, Bjurlin said.
The wind ordinance proposed for the town, however, would eliminate the project because not enough land would be left after the proposed half-mile setbacks from homes, Bjurlin has said.
The next step is a public hearing on the proposed ordinance at the plan commission’s May 29 meeting. EcoEnergy will continue to work with the town, Bjurlin said, “and we’ll be eagerly watching what occurs with the ordinance.”
EcoEnergy hasn’t made a plan for the future of the project if the half-mile setback is approved, he said.
While many factors play into the project’s timeline, Bjurlin said the company would like to start construction next year or by 2010.
May 10, 2008 at 8:40 p.m.
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Please visit betterplan.squarespace.com to read about Wisconsin farmers who have great regrets about hosting turbines. This survey was paid for by the developer. What was the exact question that was asked? The issue here is putting 40 story turbines 1000 feet (350 paces) from a home of a non participating residence.At the website follow the link to the Milwaukee TV segment about a wind farm in Fond Du Lac County that ran on May 7 to see what happens when the noise and the shadow flicker and the torn up land are just too much. The people who are paid to host turbines may be happy, and the wind developers may be happy, but for the rest of the community there is a lot of misery. There are better renewable energy options for Wisconsin!Ones that don't tear up farmlands, neighbor relationships, and communities.
May 8, 2008 at 10:54 p.m.
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watch, this will end up costing lost of money and will produce very little actual energy in return.
wind turbines are a hot item.
ten years from now, evansville will regret this decision.
(oh and by the way, the survey cited was commissioned by EcoEnergy - the folks who will make the money from this boondoggle. why do the same people who support this nonsense refuse to believe oil company sanctioned surveys supporting drilling for oil?)
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