By Rachel Rodgers
DIXON – Big Sky Wind will be the second wind farm in Lee County to get a second wind.
BSW DevCo LLC petitioned the county for a special use permit to decommission its 58 turbines in Lee County and replace up to 51 with upgraded models.
Last week, the Lee County Zoning Board of Appeals gave a favorable recommendation for the project after having seven hearings in the last 2 months, and the County Board approved the permit Tuesday unanimously without discussion.
The zoning hearings covered an extensive list of required studies including shadow flicker, noise and environmental impact as well as conditions set by the board such as requiring waivers from landowners for 10 turbines that no longer meet the county’s updated property setbacks.
The 240-megawatt wind farm was built in 2010 and went online in 2011 totaling 114 turbines with 58 in southern Lee County and 56 in Bureau County near Ohio.
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