July 1, 2002—ComEd, Illinois Wind Energy (IWE) and Tomen Power Corporation (TPC) have announced plans for creating the first commercial wind farm in Illinois. The Crescent Ridge wind energy project will become one of the largest wind farms east of the Mississippi River and will generate enough renewable energy to power approximately 20,000 Illinois homes.
Under the agreement, ComEd will purchase the entire output of the 51 megawatt wind generating facility. ComEd is adding this renewable resource to its supply portfolio, available to serve its customers.
The Crescent Ridge wind energy project will be located across 2,200 acres of farmland in Bureau County, Illinois, though the wind turbine facilities themselves will actually take up less than 20 acres of land. All the land can continue to be farmed, except what is needed for the wind facilities themselves. The project will be built near Tiskilwa, approximately 110 miles west of Chicago, and is expected to be completed in mid 2003.
IWE and TPC are co-owners and co-developers of the Crescent Ridge wind power project. TPC, which is financing the project, is a subsidiary of Tomen Power Holding Company, one of the world’s largest wind power developers.
In addition to reaching the power purchase agreement announced today, ComEd has already shown its commitment to renewable resources through its contribution of $225 million in start-up capital for Illinois Clean Energy Community Trust, which is used to finance energy efficiency initiatives, renewable energy resources and other environmental programs. And today’s announcement follows on the heels of the Midwest Renewable Energy Workshop, co-sponsored by ComEd, which concluded Tuesday at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.
The wind farm will employ new wind turbine technology that allows for effective electricity generation at lower speeds than normally found at other wind farms across the nation. Recent studies by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory as well as the American Wind Energy Association have shown that parts of Illinois, particularly northwestern Illinois, are suitable for wind energy projects.
