E.ON began construction of its Twin Forks Wind Farm in Macon County, Illinois on August 29, the third wind farm in the state for the Chicago-based company. Once Twin Forks' 278 MW of generation is completed, E.ON's wind farms will produce a total of 578 MW of electricity generation capacity in Illinois, enough to power more than 180,000 homes. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.
"Turning dirt and getting started on construction is always an exciting time for us, as it marks the next step in a lengthy development process. It is always great to work with local communities in Macon County to turn projects like this into a reality as physical construction begins," said Patrick Woodson, Chairman of E.ON North America. "E.ON's wind farms not only produce clean, renewable power, but create jobs, give farmers and land owners additional sources of income, and help local officials improve schools and other critical public services. We look forward to continuing to work closely with landowners, community officials, and local residents in Macon County as we build the energy future of tomorrow, today."
Engineers and construction teams began a series of public road upgrades in Austin, Maroa, Illini, and Hickory Point Townships, which will allow turbine construction to begin once completed. After construction of the wind farm is completed, the improved roads will continue to benefit the local community.
E.ON's North American headquarters is in Chicago, IL and operates more than 3.1 GW of renewable generation from wind and solar across the United States. E.ON is one of the world's largest generators of renewable energy, and has invested more than $12 billion globally in wind and solar projects over the last decade.