Staff report
Lebanon — More than 150 people came to a public forum Tuesday night at the Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds to learn more about wind energy. Two companies, EnXco and Gestamp Wind North America, are interested in placing wind farms in Boone County. Those attending the forum, hosted by the Boone County Area Plan Commission, heard about the wind energy review process from White County Director of Economic Development Connie Neininger; financial aspects of wind projects from Todd Samuelson and Gary Malone, partners with Umbaugh & Associates; and information on state policies and incentives from Brandon Seitz, director for the State Office of Energy Development in Indiana.
Boone County’s zoning laws prohibit wind farms, and at least one Boone County resident would like to keep it that way. “I think it will destroy the community,” said David Cook, who lives close to the proposed sites in southwestern Boone County. He said wind farms have a negative impact on property values, health and noise. Cook, a captain with the Advance Fire Department, said the battle over the issue is “tearing the community apart.”
