Republican Senator Chapin Rose introduced a bill in Illinois that satirizes a new law signed by Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker, which eliminated local control over zoning for wind and solar power facilities, except in Chicago.
The bill proposed by Senator Rose called the “If This Is Such A Good Idea, Let’s Start With You Act,” seeks to restore local control over wind and solar facility zoning throughout the state.
Satirical bill presented by Republican Party
State Senator Chapin Rose introduced a bill named “If This Is Such A Good Idea, Let’s Start With You Act,” which mocks Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s law that removes local control over wind and solar power facility zoning.
The bill aims to highlight the hypocrisy of the left and is not intended to pass.
The proposal, using political sarcasm, calls for the turning of Millenium Park in Chicago into a solar energy facility, while leaving the Cloud Gate sculpture untouched. It also requires the addition of multiple wind energy facilities in every Cook County forest preserve.
According to the regulation, if a landowner does not give permission to have a solar farm on their property, the closest solar facility can be erected 50 feet away from their property line or 150 feet away from their house.
My favorite named bill so far this legislative session.
“If This Is Such A Good Idea, Let's Start With You Act,” from @SenChapinRose. https://t.co/ZHQseBrvu0 pic.twitter.com/S5lG9WdLQG
— Gracia Livie (@gracialivie) February 10, 2023
Likewise, if a landowner disagrees to have a wind farm on or near their property, they can have a wind tower installed “2.1 times the maximum blade tip height of the wind tower to the nearest point on the outside wall of the structure.”
The average height of a wind turbine, including blades, is nearly 500 feet and the regulations allow it to be placed within approximately 1,000 feet of a person’s home.
However, the turbine could be placed closer if a smaller turbine is used, and it could be as close as 500 feet from the property line.
Potential impacts of wind and solar energy, an ongoing debate
The potential impacts of wind turbines on human health are a topic of ongoing debate and research. Some studies suggest a link between proximity to turbines and sleep disturbances, headaches, and other issues, which some refer to as “wind turbine syndrome.”
However, more research is needed to understand the potential health impacts of wind turbines fully.
Illinois State @SenChapinRose files the "If This Is Such A Good Idea, Let's Start With You Act" which, among other things, requires Chicago to install solar equipment on all available surfaces in Millennium Park and a wind turbine on Cloud Gate (the Bean) https://t.co/xTepJmzSz5
— Alex Degman (@Alex_Degman) February 10, 2023
Senator Rose claims that local control over zoning decisions related to renewable energy is necessary and the new legislation only serves to take away the rights of local communities to make their own decisions.
Rose argued that local county boards were already deciding on the siting of wind farms and they were doing so in areas where people could live with them.
Pritzker’s decision has been criticized for being hypocritical since he previously expressed support for local governments having authority over zoning decisions.
The satirical bill proposed by Senator Rose aims to restore local control over wind and solar facility zoning throughout Illinois and highlight what he perceives as the left’s hypocrisy.
