A wind farm citing permit has been officially applied for in Macoupin County.
Macoupin County Clerk Pete Duncan announced today that the siting permit application by Apex Clean Energy for the Lotus Wind Project has been posted on the county’s website for public inspection.
The project is expected to include up to 52 wind turbines placed throughout the northern portion of Macoupin County just north and northeast of Modesto, and would have a nameplate capacity of approximately 204 megawatts of power.
The project’s substation is located in Morgan County. If the siting permit is approved, Apex says in the application that construction would commence some time in the fourth quarter of this year with commercial operations expected to begin by January 8, 2025.
The project is expected to cover 303 parcels of land encompassing nearly 12,700 acres. According to the application, the payout to participating landowners is expected to be $60 million over the 30-year life of the project.
The application says the project represents a $415 million capital investment, roughly generating $98 million in new local output for local landowners with local long-term output of over $5.9 million annually.
The siting permit is expected to be voted on later this month by the Macoupin County Board.