County BoardSaturday, November 7
Peoria County Board approves the $1.5 billion Four Creeks wind farm on a 12-5 vote
The Daily Peoria team
Peoria County is getting a wind farm. The County Board voted 12-5 Thursday night to grant a special-use permit for the Four Creeks Wind Project, Repsol Renewables' $1.5 billion plan for 113 turbines in the county's northwest corner. The vote ended a three-hour special meeting at the Holiday Inn and Suites at Grand Prairie.
Four Creeks Wind Project by the numbers
- $1.5 billion
- estimated cost of the wind farm
- 113
- turbines planned
- 27,000
- acres in northwest Peoria County
- 160,000
- Illinois homes it could power each year, Repsol says
Sources: Peoria Journal Star, WCBU Peoria, Central Illinois Proud
Repsol says the project could power more than 160,000 homes in Illinois each year and generate more than $5 million in tax revenue for the Princeville and Brimfield school districts in its first year. Opponents said the turbines would lower property values and bring noise and shadow flicker. Earlier Thursday, the Land Use Committee recommended approval 6-3 with about three dozen conditions.
- Turbine height: maximum of almost 660 feet
- No votes: Elsasser, Kelch, Rieker, Rosenbohm and Windish
- Reach: Brimfield and Princeville to the Knox and Stark lines
“Nobody on this board is taking this vote lightly.”
The wind farm passed 12-5
12 of 17
- voted yes
- 5 voted no
Sources: Peoria Journal Star, WCBU Peoria
View as table
| Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| voted yes | 12 | 71% |
| voted no | 5 | 29% |
Sources: Peoria Journal Star, WCBU Peoria, Central Illinois Proud