Construction of the Cardinal Point Wind Farm in western Illinois should begin in a few months. The wind farm will be located in northern McDonough County and southern Warren County.
“We hope to break ground in May (of 2019),” said Project Manager Matt Martin of Capital Power.
“The whole construction phase is nine to ten months. So by this time next year we hope to be nearing completion.”
He said the company will need to install roads to the turbines, build foundations for the turbines to sit on, and then erect the machines and test them.
Both county boards have approved the project. Martin said just a few matters remain, such as completing the detailed engineering phase and wrapping up road use agreements with the counties and townships involved.
Martin said it has been a long process to get to this point.
“The first measuring devices went up in 2007. Capital Power took over the project in 2014. So it’s been four years of hard work on our end and we’re really excited to be bringing the project to fruition. And I think our landowners are really excited as well,” he said.
Martin said the project will cost “north of $230 million.” He said Cardinal Point will have 60 turbines. Most will be in McDonough County.
He said the peak workforce during construction could top 200.
Ten full-time wind technicians will maintain the wind farm once it is built.
