Lake Co. weighing use of wind power

Considering it is a governmental agency, the Lake County Forest Preserve District's objectives for energy conservation are fairly simple.

A green fleet policy has been implemented. Products made with recycled materials are purchased when available at similar quality and cost as traditional products. Recycling programs at forest preserves are provided. And, new facilities are designed with energy efficiency in mind.

Commissioner Bob Sabonjian would like to expand that list to include guidelines for using wind as a potential power source.

"It's something that's going to have to happen all over the United States," he said. "They don't all have to be these giant propellers."

Sabonjian was referring to wind turbines, which can be quite large and have drawn their share of opposing views.

The district owns farm land that might provide suitable locations for wind turbines, he suggested at a recent committee meeting.

A landscape of turbines on district land likely would be years away, if it happens at all. The forest district, as a perceived green entity, should be thinking about such things, he contends.

Architects studying an expansion of the Greenbelt Cultural Center near North Chicago, for example, have been told to look at alternative energy generating sources, but what that might be is undetermined.

Executive Director Tom Hahn said he would like to see wind technology used but there is no district wide policy.

"We are looking at ways to possibly do a demonstration project of some sort utilizing wind power or solar energy," he said.

There would be a lot of homework and many issues to address before anything happens, Hahn and Sabonjian agree.

Studies to determine whether wind would be a viable alternative in various locations are the most obvious. Questions of appearance, location, noise and impact on wildlife, such as migratory birds, also would have to be answered.

"It hasn't been a panacea for a lot of counties that have approved these things," cautioned Commissioner Michael Talbett of Lake Zurich.

How widespread would the practice be? Would the idea be to generate power for district facilities only or on a broader basis?

"We have to be very careful with that, using public land to generate electric for private use," Hahn said. That would be a "philosophical issue" that would have to be discussed, he added.

Sabonjian said he will continue to beat the wind drum and plans to ask the appropriate county authorities to consider zoning regulations that would allow for wind turbines. Forest preserve commissioners also are county board members.

"These are the sorts of things that move very slowly but I thought it's something we have to investigate," he said.