CHARLESTON, Ill. (WCIA) — A proposed wind farm is getting a lot of pushback from people in the Coles County community.

It was a packed meeting at the Coles County Courthouse Monday night. The company wanting to build the turbines was there, and so were residents hoping to prevent that from happening.

There were more than 100 people there. Coles Wind LLC made their case in front of county officials and residents. But, there’s still a long way to go before any final decision is made.

The company wants to put a wind farm on the north side of the county. Monday night, the company made their first pitch to the planning and development committee. The project would include approving 62 sites for 51 total machines.

Director of Development Alan Moore was the first to take the stand as an expert witness. He talked about the details of the project — and what he believes it will bring to the county. One example is charitable donations.

“Through this program, we issue small grants to local nonprofits and community groups that work in the communities where we operate. Since 2017, we contributed $5.2 million to these organizations and nonprofits,” Moore said.

The project is estimated to create 300 constructions jobs and 10 long-term jobs in the county. It also is projected to add $2.7 million in tax revenue per year to the area. But, not everyone was sold like Tom Sherman. He’s concerned that not all of the money will go directly to people living in Coles County.

“Of those 119 agreements really only amount to 74 people. Of those 74 people, only 37 actually live in Coles County,” Sherman said.