Storms Blamed for Broken Illinois Wind Turbines

DANVILLE, Ill. (AP) — The company that operates an eastern Illinois wind-energy farm where two blades recently broke off a turbine near a school says last month’s severe storms may be to blame.

 

Invenergy says the 159-foot blades broke off the turbine north of Oakwood and near Oakwood Junior High on the night of November 20th, three days after powerful storms tore across Illinois. Oakwood is about 30 miles east of Champaign.

The company tells The News-Gazette in Champaign that the storms may have been damaged by the November 17th storms.

No one was injured by the falling blades.

Those storms, though, included tornadoes that killed seven people and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses around the state.