Pioneer Trail Wind Farm
On June 23, 2011, Prairie Power, Inc. (PPI) executed an 18 year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Pioneer Trail Wind Farm, LLC. Under the terms of this agreement, PPI purchases 20 MW of wind energy and renewable energy credits (RECs) from the PTWF. PPI resells some of the RECs and does not claim the renewable attributes for resold RECs within our own supply portfolio. The PTWF is a 150.5 megawatt (MW) wind farm consisting of 94 GE 1.6 MW turbines located in Ford and Iroquois counties of IL. The project encompasses more than 12,000 acres of land with the turbines occupying approximately 2-3% of this land mass.
Construction of the wind farm commenced in late June 2011 with the project operational by December 31, 2012. It will generate an estimated $29 million in local tax revenues, $8 million in local salaries and over $50 million in landowner leases over its expected 25-45 year life cycle. The wind farm is expected to provide clean renewable energy to approximately 45,000- households. Generating electricity with wind will reduce PPI’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by more than 316,000 tons per year.
Community Solar Farms
Prairie Power, Inc. constructed two 500 kW solar farms in 2015. The Shelby Solar Farm is located near Shelby Electric Cooperative headquarters in Shelbyville, Ill. The Spoon River Solar Farm is located near Canton, Ill., where Spoon River Electric Cooperative provides electricity distribution service to nearly 5,000 members.
Under Prairie Power’s Bright Options Solar Program, the opportunity to purchase electricity directly from these community solar projects is offered to the 78,000+ consumer members of PPI’s 10 member cooperatives . Please check out our Bright Options Solar page.
Big River Solar Farm
In 2022, PPI began purchasing energy from the Big River Solar Farm in White County, Illinois, through a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement. PPI will purchase 24 MW of solar-generated electricity from the 149 MW facility. PPI will own the RECs associated with its 24 MWs during the final 5 years of the contract. All of the energy produced by the Big River Solar Farm is purchased by Illinois non-profit organizations, including 124 MW from Illinois electric cooperatives, demonstrating the important role electric cooperatives have in enabling new renewable generating resources built in Illinois. The solar arrays span 1,000 acres of leased land and will provide over $15 million in new property tax income for White County over the life of the project.
NRCO Membership
Prairie Power is also a member of the National Renewable Energy Cooperative Organization. NRCO provides ongoing opportunities for access to and development of cost-effective renewable energy resources. NRCO provides access to expertise on renewable energy resource commercial issues. Finally, NRCO aims to promote positive visibility and publicity for the cooperative program.