Wind turbines such as these are proposed to go up from the Byron nuclear plant to the eastern edge of Kings. (Courtesy photo)

ROCHELLE — Northern Illinois Municipal Power Agency (NIMPA), comprised of the communities of Rochelle, Batavia and Geneva, signed an agreement with EcoEnergy to own 10 to 15 megawatts (MW) of turbines built as part of the EcoBryn wind energy project proposed in Ogle County.

NIMPA, a not-for-profit power provider, was established to facilitate power supply for the three cities belonging to NIMPA and its first major power supply acquisition was participation in the Prairie State Energy Campus. The EcoBryn project, as well as some others, is being evaluated as additional power supply options for the future energy needs of the NIMPA communities.

“Working with EcoEnergy is a great way for NIMPA, and its customers, to reduce our carbon footprint and to diversify our power supply portfolio using the environmentally sound choice of wind turbine renewable energy,” said Gary Larsen, president of NIMPA and director of Rochelle Municipal Utilities.

The EcoBryn facility proposes 67 wind turbines located roughly from the Byron nuclear power plant to the eastern side of Kings. According to its press release announcing the partnership, EcoEnergy is an alternative energy company with more than 2,600 MW of wind energy projects in various stages of development throughout the Midwest. The EcoBryn facility would generate about 100 MW of electrical energy, which would be enough to power more than 28,000 homes each year.

“We are excited to move forward with NIMPA on the EcoBryn wind energy facility,” said Nick Rigas, EcoEnergy senior developer for wind energy projects in Illinois. “The residents of Batavia, Geneva and Rochelle asked that clean, green energy be a priority for their energy supplier, and NIMPA has demonstrated its dedication to their wish through its agreement with EcoEnergy.”

EcoEnergy, a unit of the Morse Group, headquartered in Freeport, maintains that wind is an endlessly renewable and pollution-free source of electricity and the fastest-growing segment of the energy industry today, in addition to being the least expensive form of large-scale renewable energy. EcoBryn would generate an estimated $500,000 a year in property taxes to support Ogle County services and education.

“When the City of Rochelle committed to participation in the Prairie State Energy Campus, we also discussed the importance of identifying renewable energy resources that would supplement the power supply provided by Prairie State,” said city manager Ken Alberts. “The proposed EcoBryn wind energy facility would allow Rochelle to acquire an ownership interest in a power supply portfolio that is balanced between low cost base load capacity from Prairie State and renewable energy from EcoBryn.”

For more information on EcoEnergy and its parent company, the Morse Group, which has been in business for more than 60 years and serves clients in the electrical, energy and construction markets across the United States, visit www.EcoEnergyllc.com. For more information on wind energy, visit www.ifnotwind.org.