Dallas outfit Leeward Renewable Energy plans to repower the 51.66MW Mendota Hills project in Illinois, 13 years after the Lee County wind farm started operations.
The developer proposes to tear down all 63 Gamesa G52 800kW turbines and replace them with 27 to 34 newer, more efficient wind turbines, the developer told county zoning officials.
Although the reconstructed project would use some of the same infrastructure and land it would also have to expand into neighboring properties to maintain sufficient turbine spacing.
Leeward has applied to the country for a special use permit. The applicant is also in consultation with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
When Mendota Hills came online in 2003 it was the first utility scale wind farm in Illinois.
Image: sxc
Repower plan at Mendota Hills
63 Gamesa G52 800kW units to be replaced with up to 34 new machines
By EBS