Is industrial wind development right for Crawford County? Voters will decide on Nov. 8
On Nov. 8, voters will decide whether to allow the construction of industrial wind farms in Crawford County.
A "Yes" vote on Issue 4 supports the 10-year ban on industrial wind development passed by Crawford County commissioners in May. A "No" vote would overturn the ban, allowing Apex Clean Energy to move forward with development of its planned 300-megawatt wind farm, Honey Creek Wind, in the northern half of the county.
Apex representatives talk about bringing money and jobs to the county; they emphasize that the more than 500 land owners who have signed leases have the right to do what they want with their property. In all, more than 40,000 acres have been leased. Wind farm proponents cite the nation's need for green energy.
Wind farm opponents — a group dominated by yellow-shirted rural residents whose homes would be surrounded by the 600-foot-tall wind turbines — say industrial wind is a "wrong fit for Crawford County." They fear people who live in areas that won't be directly affected by the development — particularly residents of the county's incorporated communities — don't understand that industrial wind development is just that: industrial.
In recent weeks, both sides have stepped up efforts to sway voters, with mailers, yard signs, billboards and more. Both have established headquarters in downtown Bucyrus.
Members of Crawford Anti-Wind and its political action committee, Crawford Neighbors United, had a public information meeting at The Hub in Crestline on Oct. 5.
A week later, on Oct. 12, Honey Creek partnered with the Bucyrus Area Chamber of Commerce for a "Renewable Energy Career and Business Open House" at the Trillium Event Center in Bucyrus.
'A project like this does not belong in this county'
Sarah Nye, who lives south of New Washington, has been putting in eight- to 10-hour days, organizing events for Crawford Anti-Wind.
She organized the Oct. 5 meeting in Crestline, and said she was pleased with the evening's lineup: state Rep. Dick Stein, R-Norwalk; her son, Chris, who spoke about his concerns with the language included in leases and "good neighbor" agreements; Realtor Mark Yosick, who spoke about the impact on property values; Colleen Hitchcock, who described how the construction process impacts the community; and keynote speaker Kimberly Groth, who has been a leading voice for wind farm opponents.
A last-minute addition to the lineup, Milton Kafoglis, told the 50 or so people assembled that as someone who has helped install wind farms, he's against having turbines in Crawford County.
"A project like this does not belong in this county," he said. Wind turbines are fine in vast, unpopulated areas: "There's nobody there. Nobody lives there. This is a very densely populated area."
He also predicted that if Honey Creek moves forward, additional wind development will follow.
"It's almost like a cancer; once it starts, it keeps growing," Kafoglis said.
'I don't know if I'll be able to stay'
For Sarah Nye, the issue is personal.
"This changes our lives," she said before the meeting started. Properties adjacent to three side of the home she and her husband build 46 years ago have been leased.
Nye said she understands that just because a site has been leased, that doesn't mean a wind turbine will be built there. "We love it there. We're really concerned," she said.
Apex representatives have said they're still developing a site map for the project. If the referendum fails and the project moves forward, that plan will be presented to county officials prior to an application being filed with the Ohio Power Siting Board. That's expected to happen sometime next year, an Apex representative said at the Oct. 12 meeting. OPSB permits are required before construction can begin.
"An industrial wind turbine farm should not be near anybody's home," Nye said. "It just shouldn't be; it's not safe."
She said she's concerned whether her home would be safe during electric storms, a topic Groth addressed during her presentation.
Ohio requires that wind turbines be set back 1,125 feet plus the length of the blade from the line of a non-participating property, Groth explained. But an OPSB application filed for Republic Wind, another Apex project, included a page from a wind turbine manufacturer's safety manual. It states that wind turbines are at high risk for lightning strikes, and in the event of a thunderstorm, employees should leave the wind farm and wait in a vehicle at a safe distance of 1 kilometer until the storm has passed.
"That's over 3,200 feet, and again, if the community lets this development in Crawford County, the state will let these wind turbines be built 1,100 feet from your property line," Groth said.
That's one of Nye's fears.
"Well, what am I going to do when it's 1,125 feet from my home on three sides? Somebody tell me, where am I supposed to go?" she said, choking back tears. "It's not right. It's not right that that can happen. ...
"I don't mean to get emotional, but it's terrible. My grandparents, my great-grandparents, my parents, we all lived and grew up in New Washington. I don't know if I'll be able to stay."
Nye said she's not against renewable energies; "America needs a little bit of everything."
But she's not convinced wind-turbine technology has reached a point where it's safe to be built so close to so many residential properties.
Apex officials explain construction process
Honey Creek's Oct. 12 open house dealt with specifics of the project.
After an introduction by Brian O’Shea, Apex's director of public engagement, James Stovall, a site manager and chief electrical inspector, walked a dozen people — mostly men in work attire — through the installation process.
O'Shea explained the project will bring $2.7 million in annual PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) fees to county coffers. Apex would enter into a road use agreement with the county, provide emergency training and help local workers prepare for jobs in the clean energy workforce, he said. He spoke about new jobs, new spending that will result from the construction process, and $45 million in landowner payments over the life of the project.
Rural roads will be upgraded as the project begins, Stovall explained. "We would improve those roads, widen them and then rechip and seal when we're done," he said. "We leave them like that. They're really, really nice roads when we finish with them."
In addition to the turbines, construction involves the building of new access roads, an underground electrical collection system and a project substation. In his 15 years in the business, the longest a project has taken in 11 months; nine to 10 is more typical, Stovall said.
Other specifics Apex officials shared:
The wind farm will have the capacity to generate 300 megawatts of energy, O'Shea explained. By using larger wind turbines of 600 feet or taller that generate more energy, Honey Creek will need fewer structures. It's a matter of more or bigger wind turbines; not more and bigger.
If the 10-year prohibition on wind farm development is upheld, the leases remain in place until their term expires.
A transportation plan will be developed and a road use agreement will be negotiated with county officials. Access roads built for the project will be removed when the work is done and topsoil will be restored.
The base of a foundation is usually nine to 10 feet below the surface; the pedestal is the only part that’s visible above ground. The bigger the turbine, the bigger the foundation. Topsoil removed to make way for construction of the foundation is replaced at the end of the process and compacted; it helps to support the turbine. A rock ring about 20 feet wide surrounds the pedestal; farmers should be able to work the land right up to the rock ring.
Turbine components will be delivered to the site and stacked by a large crane, which also will construct the rotor. Another, even larger “top-out” crane will lift the rotor into place.
Drain tile damaged in the construction will be repaired. A local contractor is usually hired for the job.
At the end of the project’s lifespan of roughly 25 to 30 years, Apex will have two options: Decommission or repower. Repowering has become common: Blade and nacelle technology continues to improve, so many companies don’t wait until the project reaches the end of its life. Instead, they invest in new nacelles and blades, and put them on the same tower. That’s called repowering.
Decommissioning is uncommon, but it would be Apex’s responsibility to remove everything if that happens. Ohio law requires wind developers to have a decommissioning plan and bond in place before work begins. The amount of the bond is reassessed every five years to ensure it will be sufficient to cover decommissioning costs. Pedestals are removed in the process, but anything more than 3 feet below ground would remain. Stovall said he’s never heard of a wind farm being fully decommissioned anywhere in the nation. O’Shea said he knows of some smaller turbines near Bowling Green that are expected to be decommissioned.
'Where are we going to get the energy that delivers all this luxury?'
After his presentation, Stovall asked for questions.
"I have a question," said Galion resident Kristin Ellis. "Who would buy your energy when you start producing?"
Stovall explained that, typically, it's purchased by Facebook (Meta), Google or a utility such as FirstEnergy that buys the energy through a power purchase agreement. "But the electricity, it just basically goes out onto the grid," he said.
Ellis continued asking questions, about the profit structure behind wind energy and how the Inflation Reduction Act will impact the business.
"I would love to have local energy," Ellis said after the meeting, adding she believes it's something Ohio needs. "We've got three of the oldest nuclear power plants in the country in Ohio. And I'm looking at the natural gas prices with the war in Europe, and those aren't going to be coming down any time soon. Where are we going to get the energy that delivers all this luxury?"
She said she's aware pro-wind voices have been quiet; social media "always magnifies the loudest, most emotional viewpoint."
"It doesn't allow for a reasoned discussion about like national security, energy diversity and just what our needs are going to be for the future," Ellis said. "And if they're repowering with even better technology as they go forward, that sounds pretty promising for a long-term income for the community."
Ellis said she's lived in cities, where constant background noise and flickering lights are part of everyday life; but acknowledged that's not something rural residents expect.
To her, it sounds like something Ohio needs.
But to people like Sarah Nye, it sounds like the end of a way of life.
"It's a wrong fit for Crawford County," Nye said. "If you're going to have wind turbines, they should be in the middle of nowhere."
ggoble@gannett.com
419-559-7263
This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Is wind farm welcome? Crawford County voters will decide on Nov. 8
