Grayslake gives go-ahead on 2 small wind turbines

Two small wind turbines planned for a building in a commercial area received official approval from Grayslake village board trustees Tuesday evening.

Village trustees acted on a request made more than a year ago by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union office. The union's wind turbine request was a first for Grayslake.

"I don't have a problem with this," Trustee Jeff Werfel said before the village board voted 6-0 in favor IBEW's proposal.

One vertical and one horizontal turbine at heights of 25 feet and 75 feet, respectively will be constructed. The wind devices are pegged for the rear of the electrical workers union's training facility at routes 45 and 137.

Neither of the wind turbines is intended to be a power generator for the building. Union officials said the devices will be training aides for electricians.

Plans also call for the IBEW to study how various wind turbines perform and determine what's good or bad about them.

Wind turbines have been an issue elsewhere in Lake County.

Gurnee has a wind turbine moratorium until year's end. It hasn't applied to a three-bladed, 6-kilowatt wind turbine approved in 2007 to provide supplemental electricity to the Chipotle Mexican Grill on Gurnee Mills' perimeter.

In Libertyville, the village board in August 2009 agreed to a moratorium to allow for a review of local rules on turbines. A 120-foot turbine at Aldridge Electric was exempted from Libertyville's moratorium.

Bannockburn, Lincolnshire and Wadsworth are among other Lake County towns with wind turbine moratoriums.