PONTIAC - A wind farm developer filed an application on Friday to put more wind turbines in Livingston County.

The application was made by Minneapolis-based Navitas Energy for the proposed Minonk Wind Farm project, which would scatter 100 turbines over a 12,000-acre area from Minonk to Flanagan. Three-quarters of them would be in Woodford County, and the rest would be in Livingston County.

"In the first glance at the application, it appears to be covering a lot of the basics," Livingston County Zoning Administrator Chuck Schopp said. "We still need to review it and will be asking for more detailed information on a few of the issues."

Schopp said that once his office has reviewed the proposal, officials will meet with representatives from Navitas. Hearings before the Livingston County Zoning Board of Appeals could occur by the end of summer or in early fall.

Hearings on the project already have been set in Woodford County on June 24 and 25.

Construction is anticipated for summer 2010, and commercial operation could begin by the end of 2011.

The power generated from the project could supply around 60,000 homes with power, company officials said.

"This could be a great benefit to the local communities in terms of tax revenue," said Wanda Davies, Navitas director of development for the Midwest.

Davies said that around $2 million would be paid in property taxes per year, and $650,000 of that would go to taxing bodies within Livingston County such as school, park and fire districts.

Other wind farms

Other wind farm developers have expressed interest in the county, and one already is constructing turbines.

Spanish developer Iberdrola Renewables Inc. is awaiting construction materials for the Streator Cayuga Ridge South Wind Farm, a 155-turbine project located between Emington and Odell, Schopp said. It proposed but later withdrew a northern branch for the wind farm that would have stretched into LaSalle County.

The 300-turbine K4 Wind Farm, proposed by Vision Energy of Cincinnati, Ohio, would have 75 turbines in the eastern part of Livingston County. Hearing dates have not been set yet for that project.

Schopp said that the Top Crop Wind Farm has been proposed by Texas-based Horizon Wind Energy, but it is tied up in talks between Horizon and Iberdrola. Top Crop, which would have 200 turbines in northern Livingston County and 200 more in LaSalle and Grundy counties, would overlap territory already in Iberdrola's plans.