2018 Spring Farm

2018 Logan County Farm Outlook Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS March 22, 2018 Page 27 Both wind and solar energy projects have positive economic impacts on communities because of property tax revenue and payments to landowners. The past several years brought a rapid growth of wind farms around Illinois, and Logan County is no exception. But it is important to continue to examine their impacts. The Rail Splitter Wind Farm in northern Logan County has been operating since September 2000. Statistics from late 2016 show that the Rail Splitter made a capital investment of approximately $221 million, $6.1 M in cumulative payments to local governments, and approximately $48.8 M had been spent within 50 miles of the wind farm through 2016. Swift Current Energy, which hopes to start construction on the HillTopper Wind Farm project near Mount Pulaski soon, says it will bring in more revenue to the county and the school district. At public hearings last May, Swift Current Energy’s Matt Birchby said, “The $300 M HillTopper Wind Farm project cost has been funded by private dollars and will receive tax credits when operational. The average property tax payment the project will be making annually is $1.5 million.” The tax revenue will also help support the school district. Impacts of wind and solar farms Continue 8 T ax credits and subsidies are making renewable energies popular. But what are the long-range costs to crop production as wind and solar farms lay claim over some of Logan County’s prime soil.