Invenergy wins award for Nelson Energy

NELSON – The completion of the Nelson Energy Center has been named one of the top economic development projects in Illinois last year.

Invenergy LLC is one of five winners of the eighth annual Economic Development in Illinois Awards, also known as the EDIEs. The Nelson plant came online in May 2015, the culmination of efforts that started in 1998.

The natural gas-fired facility generates enough electricity to power more than 640,000 homes. The power is sold into the PJM Interconnection wholesale market, which serves 61 million customers from Illinois to the eastern seaboard.

The project employed more than 350 people at the peak of construction, and has 24 full-time employees for operations.

Nelson Energy Center is projected to bring at least $6.5 million of additional property taxes to the area over the next decade, in addition to the millions it is expected to spend with local businesses.

This is the second time a Lee County project has received an EDIE. In 2009, Dixon’s UPM Raflatac project was the first recipient of the award in the manufacturing category.

EDIE winners will be honored at the annual meeting of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce planned for June 14 in Chicago. The keynote speaker will be Dennis Muilenburg, chairman, president, and CEO of The Boeing Co.

The EDIE awards are sponsored by The Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Economic Development Association, and ComEd.