McLean County Fiscal Court has adopted a 1-year moratorium on wind energy conversion system applications, giving county officials and the Joint City-County Planning Commission time to study potential impacts and develop regulations.
The ordinance, adopted on second reading on May 28, places a temporary hold on the filing, processing, review, and acceptance of applications for small-scale wind energy conversion systems, industrial-scale systems, wind energy projects, and wind energy towers.
McLean County Judge-Executive Curtis Dame said the move was not intended as a permanent ban, but as a way to slow the process and gather information before large-scale wind development could move forward.
“The numbers tell the story, and that’s what this moratorium does,” Dame said. “It gives us time to look at true, non-biased data — empirical data — that will tell us the pros and cons.”
Dame said the issue surfaced after landowners received mailers gauging interest in leasing property for possible wind energy development. That sparked local discussion and concern, particularly over the potential size of turbines, visual impacts, shadow flicker, noise, wildlife concerns, and effects on neighboring properties.
Dame said some proposed turbines could be 600 feet tall or taller.
“How do you zone that when you can see it for miles?” he said.
The ordinance says the county and planning commission need time to study the potential negative effects of wind energy installations, including information from existing projects, before deciding whether they should be allowed in McLean County. If allowed, officials would then draft rules setting conditions, restrictions, and other requirements.
The Joint City-County Planning Commission held a public hearing on the proposal and recommended the moratorium. According to findings of fact included with the ordinance, several residents raised concerns about windmills, including possible effects on property values, noise, migratory birds, livestock, sleep, and rural views.
Dame said McLean County’s joint planning and zoning structure allowed officials to respond more quickly than some counties might be able to.
“I’m glad we have joint planning and zoning, because we had the framework to do this moratorium,” Dame said.
Dame said the court must balance private property rights with the broader impacts a project could have on neighbors and the county as a whole.
“I struggle with restricting the ability of a private landowner to do commerce on their own property,” he said. “But where that discussion comes off the rails is if it impacts your neighbor’s health, wellness, private enjoyment, or just existence. In my opinion, that’s when we have a problem.”
Dame said the county also has to be careful not to send the wrong message to future investors.
“What sign does it send to future investment if McLean County already puts up a sign that says, ‘No, we don’t want you here?’ That is what I lose sleep over,” he said.
Dame said the county already has solar regulations in place and is working to refine those ordinances. Battery storage installations and data centers could also be studied, though he said data centers would likely trigger a rezoning unless they were proposed on a pre-existing industrial site.
Dame said the purpose of the moratorium is to give officials time to create a thoughtful policy rather than react too quickly.
“It’s a hard topic,” he said. “It really does not need to be taken lightly.”
