About The Project
Current Efforts
Construction Update: April 6th - April 10th
The health and safety of employees, contractors and communities are Blooming Grove Wind’s top priority. Construction at Blooming Gove Wind continues as it is an essential energy project. Protocols are in place to limit exposure to COVID-19 and we are monitoring the evolving situation and updating protocols as new guidance is issued.
This upcoming week, we will begin aggregating the pulverized and recently cement stabilized roads in Lawndale including:
- 2275N from just east of its intersection with 3075E to 3225E
- 3225E from 2275N to 2150N
- 2150N from 3075E to 3300E
- 3300E from 2150N to 2100N
- 2100N from 3300E to 3500E
We will also be installing some clay dirt shoulder wedges along 2800E in Lexington township and along 3100E in Lawndale township. These shoulder wedges are being installed as a test to determine whether or not the wedges help prevent aggregate from spilling into the roadside ditches due to frequent vehicle travel.
On Monday, depending on weather conditions, we will begin excavating turbine foundations along 3100E and 3500E in Lawndale township. Later in the week, we will begin pouring “mud mats” which are relatively thin layers of concrete that sit at the bottom of excavated turbine foundations.
We will also be continuing culvert replacement, box culvert strengthening, and pulverizing and aggregating township roads. After finishing up a few more stretches of road in Chenoa township west of CH 23, we will be transitioning toward pulverization in Gridley and Money Creek townships. We will be closing 2750E in Chenoa township for several days beginning Monday to strengthen a box culvert. The long closing time allows the concrete to cure so it will be safe to travel over. We encourage you to use CH 19 if you need to get from 2600N to 2700N in Chenoa township. We will also have short-term road closures to install new metal culverts to help water drainage.
Construction and management crews will begin their relocation to the office laydown yard along 2700N beginning Monday. However, Invenergy’s land team will remain in the Lexington Field Office located at 128 W. Main St. for your convenience.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Lexington Field Office at (307) 365-2777 or contact Blooming Grove’s Construction Site Manager, Charles Shawley, directly at (509) 336-9245.
If you would like to be added to our daily “plan of the day” distribution lists which provide you with some insight into the work our various contractors did the day before, the work they plan to do that day, and the work they hope to do the following day, please let us know. You can contact Charles Shawley using the phone number above or send him an email at: charles_shawley@alaskapower.com
Road Closure Anticipated Schedule for the next several days:
- Saturday: 2100N from 3300E to 3500E (All day)
- Saturday: 2150N from 3075E to 3300E (All day but open to residential traffic)
- Sunday: 2100N from 3300E to 3500E (All day but open to residential traffic)
- Sunday: 2150N from 3075E to 3300E (All day but open to residential traffic)
- Monday: 2100N from 3300E to 3500E (All day but open to residential traffic)
- Monday: 2150N from 3075E to 3300E (All day but open to residential traffic)
- Monday: 2750E from 2700N to 2600N (All day)
Economic Benefits
During the life of the project, Blooming Grove Wind Energy Center is projected to pay millions of dollars in property taxes, lease payments to landowners, salaries to employees, and payments for local goods and services, resulting in a significant increase in economic activity in the McLean County area. Local schools and county infrastructure will benefit from the increase in tax revenue.
An Economic Impact of the Blooming Grove Energy Center was commissioned by Invenergy and performed by Dr. David G. Loomis, Professor of Economics at Illinois State University and Director of the Center for Renewable Energy.
over the life of the project
The project will invest nearly $120 million in local taxes, landowner payments, and wages and benefits over of the project.
Why Illinois?
Illinois is a national and world leader in wind power generation. 35.8% of the electricity in Illinois is generated by wind - which represents the highest share of wind power generation of any state. Illinois also ranks 5th in the nation for installed wind generation capacity. Illinians' electricity bills have remained well below the national average due to this abundance of wind energy. And Illinois' robust wind industry contributes greatly to the economy - to date, the wind industry has invested more than $8.4 billion into the Illinois economy.
Wind Benefits Illinois
- Total Investment: Wind developers like Invenergy have invested over $8.4 billion in Illinois
- Annual Landowner Payments: Every year, wind farms in Illinois pay landowners over $10 - 15 million
- Wind Industry Employment: The wind industry employs upwards of 5,000 people in Illinois
- Wind Manufacturing Facilities: 34 facilities in Illinois produce products utilized by the wind industry, from blades and towers to the raw components, like fiberglass and steel, that comprise a wind farm.
Why McLean County?
The Blooming Grove Wind Energy Center is an unparalleled development opportunity for McLean County, with millions to be invested in the local economy over the life of the project. We selected McLean County for this project after intense and careful evaluation due to the:
- Verified, strong wind resource
- Flat and open land
- Low environmental impact risk
- Proximity to existing transmission infrastructure
We take our commitment to our local host communities seriously and look forward to continuing to work closely with McLean County, contributing to the area's economic development, and to providing an additional supply of clean, homegrown energy in Illinois.
Environmental Benefits
To avoid and minimize impacts to wildlife and other natural resources, we work with state and federal agencies and other interested stakeholders to site, build, and operate our facilities responsibly. The cornerstone of that effort is our commitment to act in accordance with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Land-based Wind Energy Guidelines, which includes robust pre-construction wildlife and habitat surveys, early and often communication with wildlife agencies, and operational monitoring to ensure risk to wildlife is minimized.
Impact on County Roads
As required by the Wind Ordinance of the McLean County Code, all County roads and infrastructure will be left in the same or better condition than they were prior to their use for the construction or on-going maintenance and repair of a wind energy project, and that such repairs will be completed at no cost to McLean County.
Land
Wind turbines and access roads have a very small footprint. Approximately 98-99% of land will remain viable for agricultural use, allowing wind energy to support the agricultural industry and landowners to continue farming their land. Invenergy holds itself responsible for preventing soil erosion and for correcting any impact on tillable soil, drain tile, or grasslands that may occur.
Decommissioning
The Wind Ordinance of the McLean County Code requires the creation of a Decommissioning Plan and accompanying fund for use in the unlikely event that a wind project must be taken down before the end of its useful life. The establishment of a decommissioning fund ensures that the cost of decommissioning the project would never be borne by the County.