Company touts benefits of proposed wind farm

Invenergy is proposing a 100-turbine wind farm in northern McLean County. (Photo courtesy Pixabay)

By Greg Halbleib

BLOOMINGTON – The company proposing a wind farm in northern McLean County says the local area will benefit with new jobs and a boost to the economy.

Invenergy has proposed a 100-turbine wind farm near Chenoa, Gridley and Lexington over a 90,000-acre area.

Invenergy’s Kevin Parzyck told WJBC’s Marc Strauss that there’s less uncertainty about wind farms because they’ve been around McLean County for a decade.

“There’s a consistency, even here in McLean County in Illinois, where you can say what’s going to happen when these turbines go in,” Parzyck said. “You can go down the road and see what happens.”

Local labor leader Mike Matejka said wind farms have created hundreds of jobs in the 10 years since the turbines first appeared in McLean County.

“Just as laborers, we’ve had 104,000 hours of work, which is almost $4 million in payroll,” Matejka explained. “That doesn’t count the operating engineer, the ironworker, the millwright, the electrician, so there’s a signficant investment.”

Invenergy estimates more than 500 new construction jobs and annual tax revenues of $2.3 million from the project. The company says it is not asking for tax incentives or public dollars.

The next hearing for public comment on the project is Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the fourth floor county board room of the Government Center in Bloomington.

Greg Halbleib can be reached at greg@wjbc.com.

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