McHenry County Blog

Windmills dwarf a grain elevator.

According to an article in the First Electric Newspaper, a company who tried and failed to get zoning authority to build a natural gas peaker plant near the intersection of Routes 47 and 176 has made itself known to Unit School District 300.

Here’s the paragraph that caught my attention:

“A spokesman at Indeck Energy, Buffalo Grove, confirmed Monday that its Donica Creek windfarm  is the only one of three planned for Edgar County that’s completed a critical interconnect study to hook to the grid.  The windfarm was supposed to be under construction by now but it isn’t and he was unable to say why.”

Th0se in the area may remember that Indeck lost its McHenry County Board vote, sued McHenry County and lost in court.

Stop the Stacks was the name of the group that found the peaker plant.

That’s what I’ve been told.

The gas-fired electric generating plant Indeck desired would have been built at the intersection of Routes 47 and the north leg of Route 176.

Why there?

That’s where NICOR gas lines and Com Ed come close. An idea location from the point of view of developer Indeck.

A citizens’ movement arose.

“Stop the Stacks” was the slogan and signs appeared in the neighborhood.

So, apparently this water sucking facility no longer threatens to lower our water table.

I wonder if the withdrawal from the lawsuit against McHenry County for not granting the zoning has anything to do with the recent indictment of Indeck’s transportation manager Del Monico.

I see the Daily Herald has posted an article before I retire this Monday night.

Reporter Chuck Keeshan reminds me that the county’s insurance carrier paid Indeck $5 million in 2002, against the wishes of the county board.

Keeshan notes that the county still faces binding arbitration with that insurance company, which sued McHenry County. That arbitration will start next week.

That’s what I’ve been told.

The gas-fired electric generating plant Indeck desired would have been built at the intersection of Routes 47 and the north leg of Route 176.

Why there?

That’s where NICOR gas lines and Com Ed come close. An idea location from the point of view of developer Indeck.

A citizens’ movement arose.

“Stop the Stacks” was the slogan and signs appeared in the neighborhood.

So, apparently this water sucking facility no longer threatens to lower our water table.

I wonder if the withdrawal from the lawsuit against McHenry County for not granting the zoning has anything to do with the recent indictment of Indeck’s transportation manager Del Monico.

I see the Daily Herald has posted an article before I retire this Monday night.

Reporter Chuck Keeshan reminds me that the county’s insurance carrier paid Indeck $5 million in 2002, against the wishes of the county board.

Keeshan notes that the county still faces binding arbitration with that insurance company, which sued McHenry County. That arbitration will start next week.

So, I’m reading this press release from about an indictment just handed down by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Imagine my surprise when I read the name of a company–Indeck–that figured prominently in a turn of the century controversy.

It wanted to build a gas-fired electric generating plant called a “peaker plant” at the northeast corner of Route 47 and 176.

At least one “Stop the Stacks” sign still was standing on Route 47 north of Route 176 the last time I drove the Woodstock that way.

Now one of Indeck’s executives at the time, transportation manager Del Monico of Long Grove, is accused of allegedly fraudulently obtaining $1.2 million from his company and $2.3 million from the Federal government.

There is no indication from the press release, which follows, that any of the fraud is connected to the McHenry County peaker plant siting effort.

You can read the press release here.

So, I’m reading this press release from about an indictment just handed down by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Imagine my surprise when I read the name of a company–Indeck–that figured prominently in a turn of the century controversy.

It wanted to build a gas-fired electric generating plant called a “peaker plant” at the northeast corner of Route 47 and 176.

At least one “Stop the Stacks” sign still was standing on Route 47 north of Route 176 the last time I drove the Woodstock that way.

Now one of Indeck’s executives at the time, transportation manager Del Monico of Long Grove, is accused of allegedly fraudulently obtaining $1.2 million from his company and $2.3 million from the Federal government.

There is no indication from the press release, which follows, that any of the fraud is connected to the McHenry County peaker plant siting effort.

You can read the press release here.