New wind farm proposed in Lee County

DIXON – Lee County continues to be a hotbed for renewable energy projects as a company is looking to build a new wind farm in the southeast corner of the county.

German energy company RWE Renewables is in the early stages of proposing a $300 million wind farm that would stretch 15,000 to 20,000 acres across Bradford, Lee Center and Viola townships, RWE wind development manager Jeffrey Jones said.

The 200-megawatt development would include 48 to 66 turbines and generate enough electricity to power up to 60,000 homes.

Jones said the project likely would create $40 million in tax revenue for the county as well as $40 million in landowner payments.

It’s in early stages, and construction could begin in late 2024 or early 2025 if approved by the county.

“We are committed to working with landowners in a local community and to be good neighbors,” Jones said.

The project potentially could create 300 temporary jobs during construction and eight to 12 full-time jobs for maintenance and operation.

In Illinois, the company has wind farms in Macon, Ford and Iroquois counties. RWE is the second company to propose a new wind farm in recent months.

In August, a representative with Enel Green Power met with county officials about a proposed 200-megawatt wind farm that would be across 20,000 acres north of Amboy and west of Harmon. A formal petition likely won’t go to the county for that project, named the Bison Meadows Wind project, for the next couple of years with possible construction 3 or 4 years down the road.

Lee County has also approved three massive solar developments in the past 2 years, with a fourth currently going through the zoning process.

Steward Creek Solar LLC of Virginia-based Hexagon Energy was granted a special-use permit to build a 600-megawatt solar farm across 5,000 acres in Alto and Willow Creek Townships near Steward bordering Ogle and DeKalb counties as well as Interstate 39 and Highway 30.

The County Board also previously approved a 1,300-acre solar farm by Eldena Solar LLC, developed by Minnesota-based Geronimo Energy LLC, allowing for a 175-megawatt solar farm in South Dixon and Nachusa townships, near the corner of Eldena and Nachusa roads.

Geronimo was also approved under Junction Solar LLC to build a 100-megawatt solar farm between Herman and Reynolds roads in Steward on about 760 acres of farmland.

South Dixon Solar LLC, of Duke Energy Renewables, is re-petitioning the county for a special-use permit to build a 500-megawatt project on about 3,800 acres south of the industrial park on state Route 26 in South Dixon Township after being rejected last year for failing to properly notify residents of the project as required.