ILLINOIS WINDMILLS
Dedicated to the history, preservation, and continuing story of windmills in Illinois.
Wind Farms
When several wind turbines are constructed over an area, a wind facility is formed. Because many of the wind facilities in Illinois are located in rural areas with land rented from farm owners, they are better known as wind farms.
Illinois was only generating 50 Megawatts (MW) of electricity when Mendota Hills opened. In 2015, more than 3,700 MW of electricity come from wind turbines. Illinois has enough wind potential to generate about 250,000 MW.
Below is a list of established wind farms nd larger individual wind turbines (sorted by completion date) that supply electricity to the general power grid:
Mendota Hills
Lee County (2003)
63 Gamesa
51.6 MW
First wind farm constructed in Illinois.
Bureau Valley School District
Bureau County (2004)
1 Vestas
0.66 MW
First public school to use wind power for electricity. Mascot: "The Storm"
Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative (IREC)
Pike County (2005)
1 Vestas
1.65 MW
First rural electric company to use wind power for electricity; seeking additional turbines.
Crescent Ridge
Bureau County (2005)
33 Vestas
56.1 MW
First of a two-phase project. Phase two is the Providence Heights Wind Farm.
Twin Groves I and II
McLean County (2007-2008)
240 Vestas
396 MW
The largest wind farm (in turbines and power) in Illinois
Sustainable Discovery Center
Sublette, IL (2007)
1 Clipper
2.5 MW
Museum dedicated to green energy initiatives; building is LEED certified.
GSG Wind Farm
Lee and LaSalle Counties (2007)
40 Gamesa
80 MW
Camp Grove
Marshall and Stark Counties (2007)
100 GE Power
150 MW
Adam Wind Turbine
Lee County (2007)
1 Clipper
2.5 MW
AgriWind
Bureau County (2008)
4 Suzlon
8.4 MW
Small communities and local electric utilities cooperate with landowners to meet local energy needs.
Providence Heights
Bureau County (2008)
36 Gamesa
72 MW
2nd phase of the Crescent Ridge Wind Farm.
Erie Community Unit School
Whiteside County (2008)
1 Vensys
1.2 MW
Sherrard High School
Mercer County (2008)
1 Vestas
0.66 MW
Grand Ridge I, II, III, and IV
LaSalle County (2008-2009)
140 GE Energy
210 MW
Great Escape Restaurant
Schiller Park, IL (2009)
"Big Windy"
108 kW
First wind turbine in Cook County.
Aldridge Electric
Lake County (2009)
1 custom
50 kW
City of Geneseo
Geneseo, IL (2009)
2 Vensys
3 MW
Gob Nob
Montgomery County (2009)
1 Emergya
0.9 MW
Rail Splitter
Tazewell County (2009)
67 GE Energy
100.5 MW
Eco Grove
Stephenson County (2009)
67 Acciona
100.5 MW
Top Crop I and II
LaSalle County (2009-2010)
200 GE Energy
300 MW
Richland Community College
Decatur, IL (2009)
1 Northern Power
0.1 MW
Lee-DeKalb Wind Farm
Lee and DeKalb Counties (2009)
145 GE Energy
217.5 MW
Porta High School
Menard County (2009)
1 custom
0.6 MW
Other World Computing
Woodstock, IL (2009)
1 Vestas
0.5 MW
Arends Brothers
Melvin, IL (2009)
1 Northern Power
0.1 MW
Cayuga Ridge South Wind Farm
Livingston County (2009)
150 Gamesa
300 MW
Pigeon Creek
Adams County (2009)
1 EWT
0.9 MW
Libertyville Turbine
Lake County (2009)
1 custom
0.05 MW
Walnut Ridge
Bureau County (2010)
100 Suzlon
210 MW
Big Sky Wind Facility
Bureau and Lee Counties (2011)
114 Suzlon
239.4 MW
White Oak Energy Center
McLean County (2011)
100 GE Energy
150 MW
Settler's Trail
Iroquois County (2011)
94 GE Energy
150 MW
Pioneer Trail
Ford and Iroquois Counties (2011)
94 GE Energy
150 MW
Brown County Wind Turbine
Brown County (2011)
1 Vensys
1.5 MW
California Ridge
Champaign and Vermilion Counties (2012)
134 GE Energy
200 MW
Bishop Hill I and II
Henry County (2012)
183 GE Energy
292.4 MW
Shady Oaks
Lee County (2012)
73 Goldwind
109.5 MW
First wind farm in America to use Goldwind turbines.
Baileyville Wind Farm
Ogle County (2012)
40 Gamesa
80 MW
Eve Wind Turbine
Lee County (2012)
1 Clipper
2.5 MW
Heartland Community College
McLean County (2012)
1 Vestas
1.65 MW
Minonk Wind Farm
Woodford and Livingston Counties (2012)
100 Gamesa
200 MW
Panther Creek
Pike County (2014)
75 Suzlon
158 MW