Staff writer
In a presentation last week at Marion Senior Center Rex Savage of Windborne Energy told patrons that construction on wind turbines south of Marion could begin as quickly as two to three weeks.
“We will begin putting rock down on 120th St. within two weeks then we will begin construction pads south of 120th in the next two to three weeks,” Savage said.
Savage said the hope was to dig three 10-feet-by-60-feet pads this month. The company plans to construct 113 pads total.
“Construction will probably move slow through the winter, and then kick into full steam in the spring,” Savage said.
He estimates $800,000 will be brought into and distributed through out the county each year from the project.
The turbines will be GE models with a 160-foot blades.
One senior asked if the blades could ever fall off?
“The county has zoned the project so the turbines cannot be built within ¼ mile of any residence,” Savage said. “That way, if they fall, and not saying they will — there’s been none that have so far — they won’t damage anything. Also, if ice built up on the blades it couldn’t be thrown as far to hit a structure.”
Turbines have to be built at least their height plus 50-feet from any public road.
The turbines will spaced one mile apart from north to south, and ¼ mile apart from east to west. Red lights will be on the tips of the blades to warn passing planes.
“Our hope is that when this gets going after the first or second year, GE will turn over to local maintenance,” Savage said.