Winds of change blow in DeKalb: Officer reverses 
decision, recommends wind farm permit

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DeKALB – A hearing officer has recommended the DeKalb County Board approve, with conditions, a special use permit sought by an energy company that wants to build a wind farm on the Lee-DeKalb county border.

The approval is a reversal of Hearing Officer David Dockus’ original recommendation to deny the request from NextEra Energy Resources, which has proposed building and operating a 151-turbine wind energy plant. Of the 151 turbines, 133 would be built in Afton, Clinton, Milan and Shabbona townships and 18 turbines would be in Willow Creek and Alto townships in Lee County.

Planning and Zoning Committee Chairman Ken Andersen confirmed Wednesday afternoon that Dockus had changed his recommendation, but declined to comment because, he said, he had yet to see the supplemental report Dockus had filed.

It was not immediately known Wednesday night when Dockus had filed the report, but County Administrator Ray Bockman said he learned of the report Tuesday afternoon.

DeKalb County Board Chairwoman Ruth Anne Tobias said Wednesday night that while she hadn’t yet read the report, she was “pleased” that Dockus found NextEra had made enough concessions to be granted approval.

“They met all of his objections,” Tobias said.

NextEra submitted its application in January for the permit, but Dockus denied that application in March. Among his concerns were a lack of both a property value guarantee plan and a sufficient decommissioning process. NextEra made a series of concessions to address those concerns, and another hearing was held May 11 and 12 to get input on the new aspects of the proposal.

Dockus’ recommendation includes seven conditions and restrictions, including that NextEra must establish a 24-hour complaint hotline throughout the construction phase and life of the project and that NextEra needs to supply a plan to repair or replace drain tile or above-ground drainage systems during construction to pre-construction conditions.

The company agreed to provide a property value guarantee plan to all property owners within three-quarters of a mile of a wind turbine.

They also agreed to pay future property taxes in keeping with the current formula for how property taxes are generated for wind farms, even if the law expires or is replaced in 2011. If the new law results in lower tax payments, NextEra would be bound by the existing formula for the life of the project.

The decommissioning process submitted by NextEra includes a $3.5 million security bond at construction, and that the security remain for the first 15 years of operation.

Phone messages left with representatives of NextEra were not immediately returned Wednesday evening. Neither were messages left with a lawyer representing county residents opposed to the wind farm proposal.

What’s next

The DeKalb County Board’s Planning and Zoning Committee is scheduled to discuss the application from NextEra Energy Resources at 7 p.m. May 27 in the Jenkins Auditorium at Kishwaukee College, which is at state Route 38 and Malta Road in Malta.