The Marseilles Training Area (MTA) in LaSalle County, Illinois will be the site of a new 900 kW wind turbine generator. The $4.2 million project was awarded to Boyd Jones Construction of Omaha, Nebraska, June 29, 2021 and will provide about 2,750,000 kWh of power per year to the Illinois Army National Guard’s training area. The area incorporates a Unit Training Equipment Site for the Illinois Army National Guard as well as a range complex used by military, local, and federal law enforcement agencies.
Greg Hayes, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, military support section program manager, said that he was glad the project was awarded and that his team was excited about being involved with the wind turbine project.
With all the forward momentum for the project, there have also been some challenges. The project management team needed to source a wind turbine supplier for a very specific size and capacity turbine and meet Buy American Act (BAA) requirements.
“Taking into consideration the availability for this particular size turbine was a critical component for enabling us to advertise this project,” said Hayes. “Given the market conditions for the equipment in this particular size range, we had to make sure we understood the BAA requirements well and worked to maximize competitive equipment sourcing.”
The power generation from the wind turbine will support the MTA’s mission to provide combat, combat support of combat service support units of up to 1,000 personnel. The project, funded by the Energy Conservation Investment Program, will contribute to President Biden’s goal to achieve a 50 to 52 percent reduction from 2005 levels in economy-wide net greenhouse gas pollution in 2030.
“The Marseilles Wind Turbine project was set in motion as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and Executive Order 13423. It will be a major step in energy reduction for the Marseilles Training Area allowing the Illinois Army National Guard to reduce its overall energy consumption and provide clean, renewable energy back to the grid for use in the surrounding area,” said Mark Lee, Department of Military Affairs engineering technician. “Although the generated energy will go back on the grid, the Illinois Army National Guard will see a substantial reduction in its utility bill as a result of this project.”