American Wind Energy Association releases annual rankings of wind energy leaders

Chicago – The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) today announced that Illinois ranked third in the nation for the installation of new wind energy generation in 2007, behind only Texas and Colorado. Last year, Illinois added 592 megawatts of new wind power generation, increasing the total state wind generation capacity to 733 megawatts.

In August of 2007, Governor Blagojevich signed into law one of the most aggressive Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) policies in the country, adopting a central plank of his energy independence platform. This renewable energy standard requires Illinois utilities to supply 2 percent of their power from renewable energy resources by 2008, 10 percent by 2015, and 25 percent by 2025, at least 75 percent of which must be generated by wind power. 

“We’re now beginning to tap the great potential of clean, renewable wind energy that is so critical to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and cutting the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming,” said Gov. Blagojevich. “The wind farms being built across Illinois are producing pollution-free energy, creating good paying jobs, boosting investment in rural communities, generating property taxes to support local schools and helping to protect consumers from volatile energy prices.”

Illinois’ 733 megawatts of wind power generation:

• Generates enough electricity to power over 183,000 homes
• Represents over $1.3 billion in investment in Illinois
• Created over 3,500 jobs in Illinois.
• Generate $7.3 million per year in property tax revenues for local governments
• Provides over $2.9 million in annual lease payments to Illinois farmers who lease land to wind farm developers
• Reduces emissions of carbon dioxide by 1,463,588 tons/yr, of sulfur dioxide by 4,639 tons/yr, of nitrogen oxide by 1,772 tons/yr and toxic mercury by 100 lbs/yr.

The 138 megawatt Crescent Ridge Wind Farm in Bureau County is among the County’s largest property taxpayers and the 396 megawatt Twin Groves Wind Farm in McLean County is the largest terrestrial wind farm east of the Mississippi River. Trinity Structural Towers, a company that manufacturers wind towers in DeWitt County created 140 new jobs.

In addition to the 593 megawatts of wind generation installed in 2007, the RPS is spurring development of an additional 3,400 megawatts of wind energy projects in Illinois that will establish Illinois as a national leader in wind power generation. Once developed, Illinois will generate enough wind power to supply almost 1 million homes statewide.

“Gov. Blagojevich understands that investing in renewable energy is both environmentally and economically critical to Illinois’ future. Investments in clean energy sources bring investments in clean energy jobs. In Illinois, we are expanding our economy by becoming a leader in clean energy technology,” said Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Jack Lavin.
 
Nationwide, over 5,200 megawatts (MW) of new power generating capacity was installed in the U.S. in 2007, an investment of over $9 billion. With total installed U.S. wind power capacity now over 16,800 MW, or enough to serve the equivalent of 4.5 million average households, wind is one of the largest sources of renewable energy in the nation.

AWEA’s annual rankings highlights states, corporations and utilities that are doing the most to further the generation of electricity from wind.