COLES WIND PROJECT PROFILE

Apex Clean Energy is exploring the feasibility of constructing Coles Wind, a wind energy project expected to generate up to 300 megawatts of clean, homegrown energy. Local wind data confirms that the area under consideration is ideal for a project of this size, which will produce enough safe, pollution-free energy to power up to 103,000 U.S. homes.

Apex is working with local landowners, community leaders, and various stakeholders on the project and welcomes input into the planning process. Located in Coles County, the project site has these key attributes:

• Verified wind resource
• Expansive private land
• Minimized environmental impacts

PROJECT SUMMARY

• Planned to be located on approximately 20,000 acres of open farmland in rural Coles County
• Capable of producing 300 MW of clean, homegrown energy, enough to power 103,000 U.S. homes each year
• Expected to consist up to 70 turbines, spaced approximately 1/4 to 1/2 mile apart on active farmland 
• Each wind turbine, including the access road, typically requires less than half an acre of land
• Farmers would continue farming their land with very limited disturbance
• Will represent a significant investment in local economy with revenues for farmers, local government, and schools
• Will create hundreds of full-time-equivalent jobs during construction
• Will create up to 10 permanent jobs at a local operations and maintenance facility

A Clean Economic Opportunity for Coles County

Coles Wind will create jobs and generate an entirely new source of long-term revenue for local schools, government services, and property owners. The total direct financial impact to the region will be in the millions of dollars over the life of the project, with additional indirect economic benefits to the local economy.

Landowners with wind facilities on their property will receive annual lease payments. These payments will continue over the projected 30-year lifespan of the wind farm, injecting millions of dollars into the economy of Coles County to support local merchants, contractors, equipment suppliers, auto dealers, and others. The power from Coles Wind will be delivered into the Illinois electrical grid, reducing the need to import electricity from outside markets.

WIND ENERGY FOR RURAL AMERICA

The cost of wind energy has dropped more than 50% over the past five years, providing a cost-competitive source for clean electricity across the nation. Wind powers the equivalent of 25 million American homes each year.* Wind energy comes with many benefits, including reduced pollution, increased domestic employment, consumer cost savings, water conservation, nationwide availability, and increased community revenues.** Wind turbines complement working farms and rural land, because they allow for existing agricultural or recreational operations to continue around them. They also help rural economic development by diversifying the local economy and providing a consistent stream of recurring revenue.

*AWEA, Wind Energy Facts at a Glance, 2019

**Department of Energy, Wind Vision: A New Era for Wind Power in the United States, 2015