ESE Town Hall Meeting "PROPOSAL TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE A LARGE WIND ENERGY PROJECT IN RURAL ILLINOIS - WHO IS FOR IT AND WHO IS AGAINST IT"

Town Hall Meeting

Stanford University
VIRTUAL PRESENTATION

In the fight against global warming, the Federal Government is pumping a
record $370 billion into clean energy. The goal is to have the nationʼs
electricity be carbon free by 2035 and many states and utilities plan to ramp up
wind and solar power to generate electricity. At present fuel sources for
electric generation are 60% fossil fuels, nuclear 19% and renewable energy
(wind, solar, hydroelectric, etc.) 21%. Who doesnʼt want clean energy, but
plans to build renewable energy facilities are not welcomed by everyone. In
central Illinois a debate is taking place over the plan by a developer of wind
power to locate a huge wind farm in a rural area. This is a $500 million project
that will generate enough electricity to power 100,000 homes. Those homes
now use electricity generated from a mix of nuclear, natural gas, coal, and a
few wind turbines. If completed the turbines, each as tall as 610 feet, will
occupy 34,000 acres of farmland. Many residents are in favor of the project
because of its positive effects on the environment and increased tax revenues
and jobs. On the other side residents express concerns about their health and
safety; specifically, harmful noise levels, deaths of birds that fly into the
windmills, having to live in the shadow in the shadow of a thirty-story
structure and reduced property values.
The Town Hall will be a meeting open to the public to allow the County Board
Members to hear testimony and arguments on both sides. Following the
meeting, the Board will decide whether or not to grant the permit.
Students will assume the roles of various stakeholders including the County
Board, representatives of the developer, landowners, farmers, real estate
agents, citizen groups for and against the Project, environmental
organizations, local and state politicians, and regulators.
The Seminar is part of a Winter Quarter class, Energy 167/267, Engineering
Valuation and Appraisal of Energy Assets & Projects taught by Professors Kiran
Pande and Warren Kourt
 

Members of the Stanford Community and the public are invited to attend. 
For more information contact KIRAN PANDE KKPANDE@STANFORD.EDU OR
WARREN KOURT WPKOURT@AOL.COM