Wind power in Illinois provided nearly 10% of the state's generated electrical power in 2020 powering 1,231,900 homes.^[1] At the end of 2020, Illinois had 6,300 megawatts (MW) ofwind power installed, ranking fifth among states for installed wind turbine capacity.^[2] An additional 1,100 MW of wind power was under construction across the state at the end of 2020.

The vast majority of wind-generated electricity in Illinois is distributed viaMidcontinent Independent System Operator, which services Illinois outside of northern Illinois—as opposed toPJM Interconnection, which distributes electricity in theChicago metropolitan area.^[3]

Wind power has been supported by arenewable portfolio standard, passed in 2007, and strengthened in 2009, which requires 10% renewable energy from electric companies by 2010 and 25% by 2025.^[4] For 2013, in-state renewable generation was just 5.1% of Illinois' total generation.^[5] Additional renewably generated electricity is imported from other states.^[6] Illinois uses a large amount of electricity, and the state's mandate was enacted when only a very small percentage of its electricity was renewably generated.

Illinois has the potential for installing up to an estimated 249,882 MW of wind generation capacity at a hub height of 80 meters operating at 30% gross capacity factor.^[7][8] That amount is lower with higher capacity factors and is higher with 100 meter hub heights.^[8]

The first wind farm in Illinois opened in 2003 and by 2009, it had over 1800 MW installed statewide with thousands of MW more in the planning stages.^[9] The largest wind farm in the state is the 300 MW Cayuga Ridge installation, while another seven windfarms each exceeded  MW capacity.^[3] TheTwin Groves Wind Farm was the largest wind farm east of the Mississippi when completed but has since been surpassed.^[10][11] Some smaller installations include a 0.66 MW turbine at the Bureau Valley School District and a 2.5 MW turbine at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, formerly part of theIllinois Department of Natural Resources, now part of the University of Illinois.^[3] A proposed high voltage DC transmission line would transmit wind generated electrical power to the Chicago area from northwest Iowa.^[12]

Power from some wind farms in Illinois is sold to theTennessee Valley Authority.A 2010 agreement withIberdrola Renewables provides a potential 300MW future supply from the Streator Cayuga Ridge Wind Farm inLivingston County.^[13]

  Teal background indicates the largest wind generation month for the year.

  Green background indicates the largest wind generation month to date.

Source:^[19][20]

Illinois Wind Generation in 2019

Net Generation for Wind, Monthly[21]

Illinois Wind Generation in 2020

Net Generation for Wind, Monthly[22]

Illinois Wind Generation Capacity by Year^[23]

Megawatts of Installed Generating Capacity[24][25][26][27]

• Solar power in Illinois
• Rock Island Clean Line
• Great Lakes offshore wind power
• Renewable energy in the United States

Wikimedia Commons has media related toWind power in Illinois.

• Illinois Wind, a project of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs,Western Illinois University
• Maps of operating and proposed wind power projects in Illinois
• GA Mansoori, N Enayati, LB Agyarko (2016),Energy: Sources, Utilization, Legislation, Sustainability, Illinois as Model State, World Sci. Pub. Co.,ISBN 978-981-4704-00-7

• Wind power in Illinois

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