Spinning Plans for New Wind Farm

Commercial wind power is coming to a part of the Great Lakes region. Chicago-based Com-Ed is announcing a joint venture to create the state’s first large-scale wind farm. The utility says once it’s finished, the Crescent Ridge wind energy project will generate enough power for twenty thousand homes. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Jay Field reports:

Transcript

Commercial wind power is coming to a part of the Great Lakes region. Chicago-based
Com Ed is announcing a joint venture to create the state’s first large-scale wind farm. The utility says once it’s finished, the Crescent Ridge wind energy project will generate enough power for twenty thousand homes. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Jay Field reports:


The wind farm will be located on 2200 acres of farmland in Northern Illinois. And will feature 34 262-foot turbines,


Illinois Wind Energy and the Tomen Power Corporation will spend more than 55-million
dollars to develop the 51-megawatt farm. Com Ed will purchase its entire output of
electricity.


Commercial wind farms have already become a common part of the landscape in other
Midwestern states. But in Illinois, some state officials have felt there just wasn’t enough wind to make it a viable source of energy here.


A recent U.S. Department of Energy Study found that there’s more wind in Illinois than
state officials first thought. Stephen Noe, President of Illinois Wind Energy, says his company has three years of wind data that proves the project will be economically viable.


“Usually, wind is measured between class one and class seven. Class seven is the
best, class one is the worst. This site is at class four, which is pretty good. And the
early maps would never have predicted that you would obtain class four.”


As its turbines spin, the farm will send electricity – through a substation – to the utility’s
power grid. The Crescent Ridge wind power project is scheduled to be completed in
mid 2003.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Jay Field.