Palm cards were the order of the day for non-incumbent District 300 candidate Dorota Jordan at the Science Fair held at Hampshire High School recently.
Here’s what it looks like. First the front:
Now the back:
McHenry County Blog has been exploring wind energy possibilities.
Our first story pointed out that it is virtually non-existent in the Northern Illinois:
The next two stories (Quest-1, Quest-2) told of District 300 Energy Management Coordinator David Ulm’s efforts to bring windmill electricity to his school district:
So, why does Ulm think there is potential?
“Hampshire High School exists in trough that runs from Iowa Northeast across Illinois. One of them we happen to sit right in the middle of. That’s why we can produce 87% in a 3-month study.
“Gilberts lies on Route 72 just west of Dundee. Jacobs has potential.
“(Windmills) now need 7 mile an hour winds and can produce at 3. Now you are producing very little, but you are producing.”
How far north does this trough go?
“All of McHenry County,” Ulm said.
Here is a map that shows wind potential as well as electric transmission lines:
You will note the transmission lines that run north of Veterans Acres in Crystal Lake west to Rockford.
The lines near the intersection of Routes 176 and 47 are the ones that the gas generated peaker plant turbine companies want to build their plants.
You remember, the ones that would suck up the ground water we are running short of for drinking purposes. Just like ethanol plants would.
The high power lines run right next to Huntley School District 158’s Square Barn Road Campus.
Look at the drifting of snow on Raffle Road near the new Woodstock North High School.
Think a windmill might work on that site?
I also asked about neighborhood objections in Hampshire.
“No one has come forward with regard to our putting one near the high school,” he replied.
“I got permission from the (Hampshire) village board back in October of ‘07. I got permission from the school board in Nov. ‘07.”
Clearly, David Ulm is not your typical hesitant government employee.
How high are the windmills?
“The test is 150 feet.
The utility grade windmill?
“370 feet.
“Same size as Paw Paw.”
= = = = =
On top you see a storage field for wind turbine blades between Bloomington and Decatur on Interstate 39. It was taken last June on the way to the Republican State Convention.
Next is a broad brush wind speed map with a box containing information about what colors mean what.
Below that is a picture taken January 27, 2009, of snow drifting across Raffle Road north of Woodstock. Woodstock North High School is seen at the upper left of the horizon.
At the bottom of the article is the wind farm near Paw Paw, Illinois, on Interstate 39.
The turbines are certainly not as ugly as the high power lines.
Click to enlarge any image.
McHenry County Blog has been exploring wind energy possibilities.
Our first story pointed out that it is virtually non-existent in the Northern Illinois:
The next two stories (Quest-1, Quest-2) told of District 300 Energy Management Coordinator David Ulm’s efforts to bring windmill electricity to his school district:
So, why does Ulm think there is potential?
“Hampshire High School exists in trough that runs from Iowa Northeast across Illinois. One of them we happen to sit right in the middle of. That’s why we can produce 87% in a 3-month study.
“Gilberts lies on Route 72 just west of Dundee. Jacobs has potential.
“(Windmills) now need 7 mile an hour winds and can produce at 3. Now you are producing very little, but you are producing.”
How far north does this trough go?
“All of McHenry County,” Ulm said.
Here is a map that shows wind potential as well as electric transmission lines:
You will note the transmission lines that run north of Veterans Acres in Crystal Lake west to Rockford.
The lines near the intersection of Routes 176 and 47 are the ones that the gas generated peaker plant turbine companies want to build their plants.
You remember, the ones that would suck up the ground water we are running short of for drinking purposes. Just like ethanol plants would.
The high power lines run right next to Huntley School District 158’s Square Barn Road Campus.
Look at the drifting of snow on Raffle Road near the new Woodstock North High School.
Think a windmill might work on that site?
I also asked about neighborhood objections in Hampshire.
“No one has come forward with regard to our putting one near the high school,” he replied.
“I got permission from the (Hampshire) village board back in October of ‘07. I got permission from the school board in Nov. ‘07.”
Clearly, David Ulm is not your typical hesitant government employee.
How high are the windmills?
“The test is 150 feet.
The utility grade windmill?
“370 feet.
“Same size as Paw Paw.”
= = = = =
On top you see a storage field for wind turbine blades between Bloomington and Decatur on Interstate 39. It was taken last June on the way to the Republican State Convention.
Next is a broad brush wind speed map with a box containing information about what colors mean what.
Below that is a picture taken January 27, 2009, of snow drifting across Raffle Road north of Woodstock. Woodstock North High School is seen at the upper left of the horizon.
At the bottom of the article is the wind farm near Paw Paw, Illinois, on Interstate 39.
The turbines are certainly not as ugly as the high power lines.
Click to enlarge any image.
Yesterday, McHenry County Blog outlined printed the first half of David Ulm’s quest to produce Carpentersville District 300’s electricity from windmills.
Today we look at how he proposes to pay for it.
“We’re ready to move as soon as our Met (Meteorological) Tower results come in next November.
“Under the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation (ICEF), we received $30,000 to do this test” Ulm said.
“At the end of the 12 months, we will then apply to them for a grant to get a tower. They will only give grants based on a 12-month study.
“We are confident we would gain enough information in a 3-month period to move forward,” but Ulm told me that the rules of the ICEF require a 12-month test.
“The tower went up in Nov. It shows we could support a tower out there. For the first three months we are 87%.”
Nevertheless, Ulm takes a conservative approach.
“We are talking about a $6 million project and I’m not about to waste any taxpayers’ money.”
Ulm explained that the Foundation will provide about 10% of the project’s cost.
“The ICCF grant might amount to as much as 10%, $600,000,” he said.
Then, he pointed out what that would mean to District 300:
“The interest on a $6 million bond over ten years is not equal to $600,000.”
But the bonds would be structured so that the savings would pay them back, even if it took more than ten year.
So, maybe free money.
And, what if District 300 decides to build a wind farm somewhere?
“Since each windmill costs $5-6 million,” Ulm said, “with economies of scale, if we were to install 5 or 6 on one site, we’d probably be looking at $30 million.
“Assuming at 80% efficiency, we’d be looking at a 15 year payback.”
And how would that be financed?
“The new stimulus package is available online. There are quite a few grants available for school district construction and infrastructure improvements and there is a line in there that Dr. (Cheryl) Crates found that shows interest bond money.
“There are currently Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREB). Those have been around since 2006. $200 million for 2006, $400 million part of the farm bill in 2007. They threw it in under the stimulus bill of 2008–$400 million.
“First come, first served.
“We could get it interest free because the lender would get a tax credit equal to what the interest would be. It’s a ‘zero interest’ loan.
“There’s plenty of ways to go.”
But to get the electricity to schools in Carpentersville, Dundee, Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, etc., use of Commonwealth Edison’s transmission lines would be necessary and less restrictive state laws are needed. (See story yesterday.)
= = = = =
David Olm, Carpentersville School District 300’s Energy Management Coordinator is seen on the upper right. Part of the Paw Paw wind farm is below, seen the day the tornado crossed I-39 shortly before we reached here. Chief Financial Officer Cheryl Crates is seen near the bottom of the article.
Yesterday, McHenry County Blog outlined printed the first half of David Ulm’s quest to produce Carpentersville District 300’s electricity from windmills.
Today we look at how he proposes to pay for it.
“We’re ready to move as soon as our Met (Meteorological) Tower results come in next November.
“Under the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation (ICEF), we received $30,000 to do this test” Ulm said.
“At the end of the 12 months, we will then apply to them for a grant to get a tower. They will only give grants based on a 12-month study.
“We are confident we would gain enough information in a 3-month period to move forward,” but Ulm told me that the rules of the ICEF require a 12-month test.
“The tower went up in Nov. It shows we could support a tower out there. For the first three months we are 87%.”
Nevertheless, Ulm takes a conservative approach.
“We are talking about a $6 million project and I’m not about to waste any taxpayers’ money.”
Ulm explained that the Foundation will provide about 10% of the project’s cost.
“The ICCF grant might amount to as much as 10%, $600,000,” he said.
Then, he pointed out what that would mean to District 300:
“The interest on a $6 million bond over ten years is not equal to $600,000.”
But the bonds would be structured so that the savings would pay them back, even if it took more than ten year.
So, maybe free money.
And, what if District 300 decides to build a wind farm somewhere?
“Since each windmill costs $5-6 million,” Ulm said, “with economies of scale, if we were to install 5 or 6 on one site, we’d probably be looking at $30 million.
“Assuming at 80% efficiency, we’d be looking at a 15 year payback.”
And how would that be financed?
“The new stimulus package is available online. There are quite a few grants available for school district construction and infrastructure improvements and there is a line in there that Dr. (Cheryl) Crates found that shows interest bond money.
“There are currently Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREB). Those have been around since 2006. $200 million for 2006, $400 million part of the farm bill in 2007. They threw it in under the stimulus bill of 2008–$400 million.
“First come, first served.
“We could get it interest free because the lender would get a tax credit equal to what the interest would be. It’s a ‘zero interest’ loan.
“There’s plenty of ways to go.”
But to get the electricity to schools in Carpentersville, Dundee, Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, etc., use of Commonwealth Edison’s transmission lines would be necessary and less restrictive state laws are needed. (See story yesterday.)
= = = = =
David Olm, Carpentersville School District 300’s Energy Management Coordinator is seen on the upper right. Part of the Paw Paw wind farm is below, seen the day the tornado crossed I-39 shortly before we reached here. Chief Financial Officer Cheryl Crates is seen near the bottom of the article.
If you need evidence that the Carpentersville School District 300 tax hikers 
Advance 300) >were excessively optimistic, you just need to some math on Chicago Tribune reporter Mark Shuman’s article on the opening of Hampshire High School.
Designed for 2,500 students, it will open with only “about 895.”
That’s 36% of capacity.
It cost $77 million, the article says.
The referendum was for $185 million.
38% of the referendum cost.
And, it’s not as if opponents were not predicting that developers and municipal sources were overly optimistic.
It looks as if, instead of subsidizing current developers, District 300 taxpayers will be subsidizing future developers.
In other news, Elgin’s Courier News has as its top story Saturday that Hampshire builder Pasquinelli Homes going belly up on its Tuscany Woods I. Reporter Dave Gathman. Its bank, Park National Bank of Oak Park “has started ‘a foreclosure proceeding’” in Kane County Circuit Court, the story says.
If you need evidence that the Carpentersville School District 300 tax hikers Advance 300) >were excessively optimistic, you just need to some math on Chicago Tribune reporter Mark Shuman’s article on the opening of Hampshire High School.
Designed for 2,500 students, it will open with only “about 895.”
That’s 36% of capacity.
It cost $77 million, the article says.
The referendum was for $185 million.
38% of the referendum cost.
And, it’s not as if opponents were not predicting that developers and municipal sources were overly optimistic.
It looks as if, instead of subsidizing current developers, District 300 taxpayers will be subsidizing future developers.
In other news, Elgin’s Courier News has as its top story Saturday that Hampshire builder Pasquinelli Homes going belly up on its Tuscany Woods I. Reporter Dave Gathman. Its bank, Park National Bank of Oak Park “has started ‘a foreclosure proceeding’” in Kane County Circuit Court, the story says.
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