While Tradewind’s new application is similar on the surface to the complete application submitted last year, there are key differences worth noting that make this application more substantial and one we continue to believe citizens of DeWitt County can support. These include:

• Nearly a year’s worth of additional development activities have been completed, such as engineering work on the wind farm design and public road improvements, final geotechnical work, and landowner approval of the site plan.
• More generating capacity with fewer turbines.
• Several additional permits and contracts have been executed, including the required Agricultural Impact Mitigation Agreement with the Illinois Department of Agriculture, a Power Purchase Agreement with the Indiana Municipal Power Agency, Determinations of No Hazard to Air Navigation for each turbine location from the Federal Aviation Administration, and the High-Impact Business Designation from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
• Directly addressed several comments raised during the first review process, including:
  • An independent report concluding there will be no impacts by the project to the vital Mahomet Aquifer.
  • A commitment to curtail the wind farm anytime the National Weather Service issues a severe weather or tornado warning for DeWitt County.
  • Proposed utilization of DeTect’s Harrier Aircraft Detection Lighting System.
  • Improved sound and shadow flicker reports to ease readability.

We look forward to talking more about these topics in the upcoming hearings, but more importantly we encourage you to stop by our Clinton office to get your questions answered directly. If you’re unable to make a trip to our office, you can call us or send us a direct message to request more information on the new application and we will respond as soon as possible.