A company called Everpower wants to put the turbines in Union Township, located southeast of Urbana, 10TV's Kevin Landers reported on Tuesday.

If approved by the state, the turbines could generate enough clean electricity to power 35,000 homes located in a four-county area.

Farmer Jon Berry supports the plan, and said the world would be a better place if wind was used to generate more electricity.

"When you get to be about 50 years old you kind of wonder what you've done to make the world a better place," Berry said.

Berry believes the turbines would allow people to lean on themselves for energy, instead of a foreign entity.

"We can start dictating our own energy future instead of someone else dictating our energy," he said.

The turbines proposed for the area would stand 490 feet tall. Berry hopes to one day have them planted among his corn and soybean fields.

"Its makes sense to build them here," he said. "We're a rural community."

In the area of Union Township, the wind blows an average 13-14 mph, which is about 5 mph faster than any place else in the state, Landers reported.

Not everyone, however, is sold on the plan.

Linda Gordon said she became concerned about the proposal when she saw the company map showing where the proposed turbines would go.

She's afraid the 490 foot turbines will be place in vicinity of houses.

"Our concern is the placement close to lots of homes," Gordon said. "There is a neighborhood, as you can see here."

Gordon said the state requires turbines to be at least 750 feet from homes, but she said those who build the turbines want them to be 1,000 feet away or more.  She doesn't understand the discrepancy.

"That's a dramatic difference between what the people who make them, engineer them, versus the legislature," Gordon said. "I'm a littler perplexed where that information comes as well."

Gordon was also concerned about what is called "shadow flicker."

"There are shadows from the moving blades," she said. "The shadow can be a nuisance."

Nuisance or not, both sides agree a proposed wind farm is likely to happen, Landers reported.

In the meantime, the state will have the final say on whether or not the turbines are implemented.

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