Illinois Solar Energy Tour

The wind also rises in Illinois

The future is here. Illinois is now a major wind power state, with over 1,100 Megawatts (MW) on 17 operating facilities as of the end of March 2009.

According to the American Wind Energy Association, Illinois is now 10th among U.S. states in existing wind-powered generating capacity. Our 1,100 Megawatts are just the beginning. According to the National Renewable Energy Lab, Illinois can host over 9,000 Megawatts of wind power, providing a large percentage of our electric production consumption and reducing large amounts of pollution. This will be key in our state meeting newly enacted Renewable Portfolio Standards.

What is a Megawatt (MW) of wind power compared to your electricity consumption? Depending on the wind speed of the site, 1 MW in Illinois can power from 300 to 400 homes for a year. So, 1,100 MW can power nearly 400,000 houses, or about the number of houses in Illinois’ ten largest cities, after Chicago.

Wind and solar power work very well together. Wind is most productive from fall through spring, complementing solar power’s daytime and summer time peaks. Illinois’ wind resources, while not the highest in the United States, have significant advantages. In the northern and central parts of the state, there are sufficient wind speeds to make these clean power plants economically viable. More importantly, these sites are near existing high-voltage power lines to permit cost-effective transmission, and to Chicago and other major Midwestern population centers.

Careful planning of wind power generating sites has resulted in minimal environmental, visual and ecological impact while generating large amounts of clean, local and secure power. Illinois wind farms have proven to be economic development magnets, creating 6,000 full-time construction jobs and 292 permanent positions in rural Illinois areas.  Wind farms also provide $4.4 million in rental income to farmers and landowners, reducing the pressure to sell to suburban developers, and acting as a financial hedge in a down real estate market. These clean power generators are also significant property tax payers, providing revenue to schools and other public facilities.

There are also dozens of smaller-scale wind power projects in Illinois. Six are single large-turbine “community wind” projects operated by a public school district, rural electric coop and a non-profit organization. Smaller wind power systems for individual building usage are also popping up in rural and even suburban and urban locations. Newer wind power technologies are available that are not your grandparent’s windmills.  They have improved design for quieter and more reliable operation, along with improved aesthetics.