Harvest Ridge Wind Farm : EDPR commissions 200MW wind project in Illinois

EDP Renewables (EDPR), a Spanish renewable energy company, has commissioned its 200MW Harvest Ridge Wind Farm, built with an investment of around $280 million in Douglas County, Illinois.

The Harvest Ridge wind project joins six other operational wind farms of EDPR in Illinois to collectively generate enough clean energy to power nearly 412,000 average homes in the American state each year.

On its own, the Harvest Ridge Wind Farm can meet the power requirements of nearly 68,000 homes through its 37 Vestas V150 3.7 MW and 11 Vestas V136 4.3 MW wind turbines. Located north of the Newman town, the Harvest Ridge wind project is said to complement the region’s sprawling corn and soybean fields, offering farmers with a stable, drought-resistant cash crop in the form of payments for leasing their land.

Mike Duffy – lead technician at Harvest Ridge Wind Farm said: “I’ve worked on four of EDPR’s wind farms in Illinois and have seen the benefits we bring to the communities who host our projects.

“Harvest Ridge will contribute more than $2 million dollars in taxes each year to support local public services including the Villa Grove school district where my kid attends. These are real dollars that make a real impact, and I’m proud to be a part of bringing this clean energy opportunity to the area.”

EDPR commissions Harvest Ridge Wind Farm in Douglas County, Illinois.

The wind farm in Douglas County generated 250 full-time construction roles followed by 10 permanent jobs for its operations. It is underpinned by long-term power purchase agreements (PPA) made with Wabash Valley Power Alliance (WVPA), Walmart, and a private offtaker, which had agreed to buy 100MW, 50MW, and 50MW, respectively of its capacity.

Lee Wilmes – Wabash Valley Power Alliance Executive Vice President of Risk and Resource said: “The acquisition of this 100 MW share of the Harvest Ridge Wind Farm allows Wabash Valley Power Alliance to further enable the production and development of renewable energy.

“For many of us in the industry, alternative energy is no longer an alternative. EDPR has been an important partner to WVPA and our membership in diversifying our power supply while creating opportunities for companies to purchase green power.”