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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WASHINGTON - Energy Secretary Rick Perry is advancing plans to shift the United States towards the next generation of nuclear reactors.
The Energy Department announced this week it has launched a new test facility at the Idaho National Laboratory where private companies can work on advanced nuclear technologies, to avoid the high costs and waste and safety concerns facing traditional nuclear power plants.
“[The National Reactor Innovation Center] will enable the demonstration and deployment of advanced reactors that will define the future of nuclear energy,” Perry said.
With climate change concerns growing, some Republicans and Democrats are arguing for the need for more…
