|
A Photo Tour of DeKalb County, IL |
| These photos were taken in August of 2010 in DeKalb County, IL, approximately 9 months after the first wind complex was built in that county. The turbines in the pictures below are the result of just two landowners signing leases with the wind company within Shabbona's 1.5 mile zone. To put the size of the turbines into perspective, they are about a mile beyond the opposite city limit from where this photo was taken. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Leased land is typically marked as "No Trespassing," and DeKalb County was no exception, as whole parcels of land became "hands off" for other potential land uses such as hunting, fishing, building new homes or businesses, or anything except turbines. |
 |
| Here are a few pictures of turbines that were placed close to homes. While they may look closer in these pictures, all of the turbines in these photos are actually at least 1400 feet away (the setback in DeKalb County). Even though some wind companies say that tree plantings are one strategy to mask the view of constantly spinning turbines, and a good way to mitigate the effects of shadow flicker, it is apparent that even large mature trees are not tall enough to shield homes from turbines placed this close. Our setback in Adams County is just 1320 feet--80 feet closer than the one you see pictured above.) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Noise, particularly at night when other sounds die down, is one of the leading complaints of those who live in wind farms. Our tour guide said that since the wind farm began operating, his sleep has been interrupted several times a week. Some people argue that wind turbines are quiet, and should not bother anyone. The way to find out for sure is to live in a house like this one. |
 |
| The term "wind farms" is misleading. Actually, it is an industrial electrical complex. Besides the turbines, there are other elements to a "wind farm" including substations, extra power lines, many new access roads and signage, weather towers, buildings, and other structures. While most ordinances limit how close turbines can be placed to homes, they typically ignore all the rest of the "wind farm" elements, surprising many people with unexpected roads or substations or other intrusive but unregulated features. |
 |
|
This farmer can still plant right up to the edge of the turbines, new road, and substation. Adams County's new wind ordinance includes a decommissioning plan that addresses the potential eventual removal of the wind turbines, along with trying to make the company pay for that expense. However, the Adams County Ordinance does not mention anything about removing the miles of access roads such as this one that have been built right through the middle of family farms in DeKalb County as part of the industrial wind complex. |
 |
|
Compare these two photos (above and below). The photo above was taken at the west edge of the wind farm, and shows the sunset "the way it used to be" for those who live in the wind farm in DeKalb County. The next photo was taken about a mile into the wind farm, showing the same sunset (a few minutes later) as seen through one row of turbines. To get the full effect, you have to imagine all of the turbines spinning, and the red lights on them flashing in unison as well. It is fair to say that many people who live in a wind farm experience a significant change in their view. That may or may not be a valid factor to consider; impact on view is not mentioned in Adams County's Wind Ordinance. Some other counties include measures in their ordinances to mitigate impact on view, but in Adams County, our views are not a consideration. |
 |
|
One more observation from our tour--we had heard people complain about the red flashing lights at night, but to be honest, that sounded like a relatively minor concern. So we stayed past dark to see for ourselves. It turns out to be nearly impossible to capture the effect of the flashing lights at night in a photo or video. However, when red lights simultaneously flash on and off, on and off, high on top of more than 140 structures spread out for miles all around you, it makes standing outside to look at the moon or stars an entirely different experience. The flashing lights are impossible to ignore, and become a permanent feature of the night sky, just like the spinning blades are during the day. |
 |
|
Many homes in and near the wind farm were for sale. We emailed one realtor from a different wind farm who expressed anger at what the wind farm did to the real estate market in his area. While we were in DeKalb, we spoke with several residents who knew of homes put uip for sale motivated by the addition of the wind farm (it has only been operational there since December, 2009). It is possible that the people we picked out did not represent the majority; advocates of the wind farm say that most people adjust easily to turbines near their homes. Nevertheless, for those who want to invest in real estate in DeKalb County's wind farm, there are many opportunities at this time. |
 |