Prairie Power embarks on 20-turbine wind farm project
Jacksonville-based cooperative Prairie Power says the farm could generate electricity for about 16,000 rural customers.
Construction at a site along the Illinois River about 70 miles west of Springfield would start next year. And electricity production would begin in 2011.
The co-op already operates a coal-fired power plant and natural-gas plant. But this is its first foray into wind energy.
Prairie Power executive Robert Reynolds says the co-op plans to sell clean-energy bonds to finance the project. The bonds include a federal tax credit.
Pike County currently has just one wind turbine, built in 2004.
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Britain Goes Full Week Without Coal Power
LONDON - For the first time in a century, Britain weaned itself off of coal consumption for an entire week.
Reuters reported that Britain went seven days without relying on any power generated by coal-powered stations.
The accomplishment is symbolic of a shift to more clean energy sources; Britain was home to the first coal-powered plant back in the 1880s.
Today, Britain has some aggressive plans in place to completely eliminate its coal power generation permanently by 2025. In addition, Britain aims to cut its total greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels within the next 30 years.
Natural gas was the…
