Wind Farming

We drove straight up the windy state of Illinois, passing near Bloomington where one of the largest wind farms is located. Wikipedia states that spread over 22,000 acres, there are 240 operating wind turbines; each is 270 feet tall, with three 85 foot long blades. In all, they are said to produce enough electricity to power 120,000 homes  In the first picture below, there are 32 turbines.

We also saw these in other states in the mid-west. While the generators are hardly attractive, I can see their value. I was interested to read that the company pays land-owners 5,000 per year per turbine and pays a property taxes to the tune of $500,000 per year, which goes to the local school districts. I might not have been far off the mark when I was thinking they look like a bunch of Mercedes symbols twirling in a field.