Macomb, IL – A GIS program being developed will make it easier for manufacturers to find an Illinois factory site that meets their needs.
The program was developed to help ethanol plant developers find sites with the required utilities and transportation.
Brock Terry of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs says the basic geographic information systems program has been loaded with information on rail lines, roads, water supplies and electric transmission lines.
He says it can also list things such as business or zoning regulations.
To use the program, someone blocks off the area one is interested in on an Illinois map.
Then, Terry says as one zooms in closer and closer, the program shows aerial photographs with the other information available in layers.
Terry says in addition to showing where transmission lines are, it can show their voltage and what company operates them.
Water pipelines can be tagged with the firm that runs them and what capacity they have.
Terry says the program was developed from a basic geographic information system program. However, he says it will be available on the internet next month.
He says most such programs are only of use within a university or a company.
Terry says the program has aroused the interest of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Affairs.
He says it believes the program would be of use to people in other industries who are doing preliminary screening for posible plant sites.