Soaring above tens of thousands of acres of cropland in two western Illinois counties, cleaner and greener energy has taken deep root.
Sixty wind turbines, each with blades stretching 204 feet and mounted to towers rising nearly 30 stories skyward, have commanded attention since they first began turning in March 2020, transforming wind sweeping across the landscape into 150 megawatts of valuable power.
Meet Cardinal Point Wind, a sprawling wind farm that’s testament to the zero-carbon development vision of Canada-based Capital Power, the project’s owner. And it’s symbolic of the collaboration and trust between that wholesale power generator and Black & Veatch, a global renewable energy solutions leader that stepped up to the challenge of erecting the farm.
Years in the making, from planning stages through the permitting and eventual buildout, the project positioned in a 100-square-mile area also underscores the promise of sustainability and resilience as market drivers reshape how the electric sector views the economics of renewable energy.
Completed within the projected total cost range of $236 million to $246 million, Cardinal Point Wind – Capital Power’s third such U.S. development – exemplifies that company’s quest to continue diversifying and decarbonizing its power generation mix.
Building upon the diversified energy portfolio of Capital Power – having been in the wind energy business for roughly a decade – Cardinal Point Wind stands true to the company’s mantra of delivering “Responsible Energy for Tomorrow.”
This is the story of how it came to be.