FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2023
Contacts:
Dawn Dannenbring, Illinois People’s Action, dawn.dannenbring@gmail.com
Amanda Pankau, Prairie Rivers Network, apankau@prairierivers.org, 217-840-3057
Meeting Spurs Dialogue on Increasing Community Benefits of Wind Energy in Central Illinois
Local organizations and the National Renewable Energy Lab hosted community members and leaders for a dialogue in McLean County on increasing the community benefits of wind energy development
Bloomington-Normal, IL. – Last night, Illinois People’s Action, Prairie Rivers Network, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) met in Bloomington Normal with community members and elected officials for a listening session about wind energy. Over 60 participants shared their past experiences with wind project development and discussed ways to do proactive planning for new developments and ensure community-level distribution of the benefits and burdens of wind energy.
This event was the first of three listening sessions NREL is holding nationally, with two others planned this fall in New Mexico and North Carolina. This is part of a broader effort to directly understand how communities think about and are impacted by wind energy. “Different people, in different places, experience wind energy development in different ways and it is important to understand all of those dimensions so that we can work together toward mutually beneficial outcomes,” said Anthony Teixeira, Senior Project Leader at NREL.
Event participants included area elected leaders, farmers, community members, and labor representatives and they shared firsthand experiences about the development and operation of the five wind farms in McLean County, including benefits like tax revenue, diversified income for farmers, and local jobs. The conversation included discussion of the full life cycle of wind farms including project siting decisions to avoid impacts to local wildlife and natural resources and the recycling and disposal of wind farm components after decommissioning. Leaders and community members from nearby communities, like Knox County and Piatt County, shared local challenges that have slowed the adoption of wind energy in their communities. Participants were particularly interested in discussing ways to bring the benefits of local energy generation and falling renewable energy costs directly to the communities where projects are being built.
In addition to listening, NREL gathered written feedback from participants. They plan to develop follow-up materials and resources to address many of the issues raised at this event, as well as the other upcoming listening sessions. Prairie Rivers Network and Illinois People’s Action said they plan to find ways to share the information with event participants, their members, and central Illinois communities.
“We want to help communities have proactive and sometimes difficult conversations about what wind development can look like– the benefits it can bring, and the challenges we can overcome,” said Amanda Pankau, Director of Energy and Community Resiliency at Prairie Rivers Network, the Illinois Affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. “Opportunities abound for communities to play an active role in renewable energy development, bringing in revenue and jobs, while decreasing the air and water pollution that result from current generation methods. We hope that last night’s listening session with NREL will help us provide better ongoing support and resources to local communities that are planning for renewable energy development.”
The northern two-thirds of Illinois is a wind rich region and wind energy currently produces 7,383 MW of electricity, or 12.3% of Illinois’ electric grid. That is enough energy to power approximately 2 million homes per year. Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act has established programs and incentives to help the state reach its goal of 50% renewable energy by 2040 and additional wind development will play a big role in meeting those goals.
Dr. Peter Schwartzman, Professor of Environmental Studies at Knox College, the Mayor of Galesburg, and member of Illinois People’s Action attended the event and shared why expanding renewable energy is important to his community. He said, “This summer had 7 days that were literally either too hot or too polluted to go outside. This is due to climate change. How many days will it be next year? We have to do something and we have to move fast. Fortunately, solar and wind,in combination with energy storage, can provide ALL the energy we need. In my county, Knox, it would require only 4% of the land to do so, and less, once electrification dominates the energy sector. Let’s get moving!”
Prairie Rivers Network
At Prairie Rivers Network (PRN), we protect water, heal land, and inspire change. Using the creative power of science, law, and collective action, we protect and restore our rivers, return healthy soils and diverse wildlife to our lands, and transform how we care for the earth and for each other. PRN is the Illinois affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation.
