Frequently Asked Questions

With a U.S. headquarters in Charlottesville, Virginia, Enerfin Renewables is actively developing wind and solar projects across the United States. We provide full service project development from greenfield prospecting and early-stage acquisitions, through construction and long-term ownership and operations. 

Enerfin has over 25 years of experience in renewable energy and is involved in producing 1,350 MW around the world. Through our wind and solar projects, we provide clean energy to over 1.5 million homes. Enerfin is backed by Elecnor Group, a publicly traded infrastructure company with over 60 years of continuous growth.

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Please visit our website for more information: enerfinrenewables.com

Wind power is the fastest growing industry in the world, and for good reason. It is a renewable and sustainable source of energy that helps reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and reduces our carbon footprint. Wind is the largest source of renewable electricity generation in the United States, providing over 10% of the country's electricity and growing. Wind power also benefits local communities by delivering an estimated $1.9 billion in state and local tax payments and land-lease payments each year. 

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Learn more about wind energy in Illinois with this fact sheet from American Clean Power.

Wind energy is generated by wind turbines. A wind turbine works like a fan but in reverse: instead of using electricity to make wind like a fan, wind turbines use wind to make electricity. The wind turns the turbine's blades, which spin a shaft connected to a generator to make electricity.

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Learn more about how wind turbines work with this article from the Department of Energy.

The sound of wind turbines moving through the air is often described as a "whooshing" noise.On average, land-based, utility-scale (large) wind turbines produce sounds that fall in the range of 35–45 dB when heard from 300 meters away (the closest distance a wind turbine is typically placed to a home or building). That means they are no louder than a typical refrigerator (50 dB) and create far less noise pollution than a vacuum cleaner (80 dB).

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Although research to develop sound mitigation techniques is ongoing, a 2012 review of global peer-reviewed scientific data and independent studies came to the conclusion that sound from wind power plants does not pose a risk of hearing loss and has no direct impact on physical human health.

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Learn more with this article from the Wind Energy Technologies Office. 

On the contrary, wind farms can help to reduce electricity bills by generating clean energy that is typically cheaper than traditional fossil-fuel based power. In many cases, wind farms can actually produce more energy than is needed, allowing excess energy to be stored for later use. The average price of U.S. wind power has declined by 69 percent in the last seven years. Wind energy is decreasing consumers’ electric bills across the country, as utilities flock to add more to their portfolio at fixed prices for up to 20-25 years and hedge against uncertain fuel costs. It’s like having a fixed-rate mortgage instead of an adjustable-rate mortgage. 

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For more information, read this article from American Clean Power.

The power from Tater Creek Wind will be delivered to the local electrical grid, helping to diversify Illinois's energy portfolio. This energy pool supplies all Illinois residents with electricity.

At the end of operations, estimated to be about 30 years on average, wind turbines will be removed and recycled. Wind turbines are made up of many materials that have substantial salvage value at the end of its operational life and are recyclable. In fact, 80-94% of a wind turbine’s mass consists of easily recycled materials, such as steel / iron (approximately 88% of a turbine’s mass), aluminum (approximately 0.7%), and copper (approximately 2.7%). Lastly, the land used for the solar farm will be restored to its original condition.

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For more information, read this fact sheet from American Clean Power.

Shadow Flicker occurs when rotating wind turbine blades pass between the sun
and an individual’s home, casting a periodic shadow that may result in a flickering
phenomenon. However, it cumulatively only occurs for a few hours per year. Enerfin works to minimize this with proper planning and siting of turbines. Shadowing does not occur on cloudy or foggy days. 

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Some people have wondered if shadow flicker can increase the risk of seizures in photosensitive individuals. However, according to research from the Epilepsy Foundation, the rate at which wind turbine shadow "flicker" is far below the frequencies associated with seizures. 

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For more information, read this fact sheet from American Clean Power. 

Despite claims to the contrary, wind energy projects have the lowest impacts on wildlife. Buildings, cars, power lines, and radio and cell phone towers cause far more losses than wind turbines. House cats kill 2.4 billion birds a year alone. 

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However, Enerfin is committed to minimizing avian impacts through research and responsible siting. We are working in close consultation with federal and state environmental agencies and using conservation measures to ensure that Tater Creek Wind has no significant effects on bird or bat populations.

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For more information, read this fact sheet from American Clean Power.

Years of research into the impact of wind turbines on property values has found that there is not negative long-term impact to property values. For Example, a 2019 analysis of property values research in the energy sector was conducted by researchers at the University of California, Davis. The analysis found that studies on the topic of wind turbines and property values overwhelmingly find that wind turbines do not negatively impact property values at any point during their installment, including post-announcement, during
construction and post-construction. 

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For more information, read this fact sheet from American Clean Power. 

Wind projects pay over $1.6 billion in state and local taxes and landowner lease payments
every year, and this number only goes up as more wind projects come online. This
revenue allows communities to invest in their future, providing new resources to expand opportunities in their schools and social services. The jobs needed to build, operate and maintain wind projects offer young people careers that will support their families without needing to leave home, and lease payments provide farmers a drought-proof cash crop that stabilizes agricultural economies. 

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Tater Creek Wind is expected to generate over $50 million in tax revenue for local schools, roads, and local services. The construction period will create over 400 temporary jobs as well as full-time operations jobs. 

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To view testimonials from community members, read these quotes sheets (HERE and HERE) from American Clean Power. 

Wind energy reduces the reliance on traditional, combustion-based electricity generation which in turn provides air-quality, pollution reduction, and greenhouse gas emission benefits. Reducing harmful air pollutants has a beneficial impact on pollution related
respiratory illnesses such as asthma, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Between 2007 and 2015, wind-generated electricity avoided as many as 3,000 to 12,000 premature deaths according to researchers from the Lawrence Berkley
National Laboratory, and in 2021, wind energy avoided over 318 million metric tons of carbon (CO2) emissions.
 

Hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific studies conducted on health effects and wind turbines clearly demonstrate that there is no direct link between adverse physical health effects and exposures to wind turbine sound (audible, low frequency noise, or infrasound), shadow flicker, or EMF associated with wind turbines and associated infrastructure. 

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For more information, read this fact sheet from American Clean Power. 

Wind energy can complement farming operations by adding a new source of income: a drought-resistant "crop". The lease payments landowners earn provide a stable, long-term income that is not impacted by commodity prices or weather. 

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Since each turbine uses less than one acre of land, landowners can continue to use their land almost normally. Enerfin is committed to working with landowners when siting wind turbines and access roads to minimize impact to crops or other farming operations.