Illinois Renewable Energy

Wind Power in Illinois

Illinois is currently seeing a massive expansion in wind energy development. The state saw its first wind farm constructed in just 2003, but today Illinois is home to over 2000 megawatts of wind generation capacity, enough to power approximately 600,000 homes with clean, emissions-free electricity. Several factors are responsible for this:

1. Most of the State has moderate Class 3 winds with pockets of stronger Class 4 winds in several places.
2. Illinois has good Transmission Infrastructure
3. Illinois is well serviced with high voltage transmission lines currently being used by its nuclear and coal power plants.
4. Illinois’ laws favour development of Wind Power ( In 2007, Illinois joined more than 20 other states in passing a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) law. This mandates that electric utility companies must obtain 20% of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025. Three quarters of that renewable energy must be from wind.

Illinois has become a HUB for the wind energy industry in the U.S. Many of the international large wind turbine manufacturers have a presence in Illinois 


Renewable Energy Companies which have their North American headquarters in Illinois

Acciona Energia,
Broadwind Enery
E.ON Climates and Renewables
Gaelectric Northwest
Midwest Wind Energy
Nordex
Plambeck
Suzlon Energy have their North American Headquarters in Illinois and others such as Vestas and Wind Capital Group have sales/ procurement offices.

Renewable Energy Companies which have a manufacturing or service facility in Illinois

Gamesa
Horizon Wind Energy (EDP Renovaveis S.A)
Siemens Winergy
MAKE Consulting 
Trinity Structural Towers

Illinois offers the following advantages for businesses in wind energy:

• An existing hub with most of the large turbine manufacturers already located there.

    • A highly developed manufacturing base for suppliers and partners.

    • A strategic location with unbeatable transportation links to both east and west coast of the USA and internationally

    • A high concentration of top quality engineers/engineering colleges and R&D facilities

    • A competitive and international business environment

• A committment to increasing wind capacity with growth in capacity each year since 2003.

    • Chicago- a truly global city for headquater locations.

Further Links

www.awea.org 

www.windforillinois.org
 
www.illinoisenergy.org

 Coal and Clean Coal Technology In Illinois

 Illinois’ coal resources hold more energy than all of Saudi Arabia’s and Kuwait’s oil energy combined. Coal-bearing rocks underlie 37,000 square miles of Illinois (95,830 km2) — 68 percent of the state’s surface — giving Illinois the largest bituminous coal resources in the nation.  The traditional market for Illinois coal was North America, however with the rising price of oil, interest in this resource has widened to european and other markets. In 2008, The Illinois Office of Coal Developement in association with the Illinois West European Office lead a successful Trade Mission to France and the UK to meet utility companies and other buyers and develope the growing interest in Illinois coal.

ILCOALprinterSpreadsA4.pdf

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