Leeward Renewable Energy LLC has completed the repowering of its 80-MW GSG Wind project in Lee and LaSalle Counties, Illinois, which will deliver energy to Verizon Communications under an agreement signed in January 2022.
The facility’s 40 turbines were replaced with 26 new turbines of the latest GE technology, enabling the wind park to produce 50% more energy with a smaller footprint, according to an announcement on Thursday.
GSG Wind originally became operational in 2007. Leeward said the completion of the repower project expands its presence in Illinois to nearly 300 MW of generating capacity across four wind projects.
The repowering created about 180 jobs at peak construction. In addition, Leeward recycled or reused 100% of the decommissioned wind turbines, which are repurposed for various applications, including concrete and mortar reinforcement fibers and different uses at steel mills.
Leeward, a portfolio company of OMERS Infrastructure, owns and operates 31 wind, solar and energy storage assets in the US totaling about 3 GW of capacity.
