Eldorado Solar Project
Details & Benefits
Project Details
Proposed Size
300 megawatts (MW)
Location
Saline County, Illinois. The power will be transmitted to the Ameren Muddy-Norris City line.
Land Area
The project will have a footprint of approximately 2,600 acres of land to locate solar panel arrays, an operations and maintenance building, inverters, and access roads.
Local Estimated Revenue
$340 million local estimated investment.
Power Generation
The project is expected to generate enough solar energy to power the average electricity consumption of approximately 28,000 Illinois homes each year.
Project Lifespan
Once constructed, the project has a 35-year useful life. After this time, it will be decommissioned in accordance with a decommissioning plan and bond.
Eldorado Solar Project Timeline
MID 2021
Local Agreements
EARLY 2022
Engineering and Permitting
LATE 2022
Final Approvals
2023
Begin Construction
2024
Operational
Eldorado Solar Project Benefits
Project Benefits
Economic Benefits
The Eldorado Solar Project 1 & 2 in Saline County, Illinois represents an estimated $340 million investment that will generate jobs, tax revenue and other economic activity which includes:
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Over 500 temporary full-time construction jobs
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2 full-time operations jobs, plus 10 additional part-time jobs
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Over $57 million to Saline County’s GDP during construction, and $1.6 million annually during each year of operation
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$42 million of local tax revenue, which includes an estimated $23 million to local schools over the life of the project
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Millions of dollars in landowner payments over the life of the project, money that is recirculated locally
Source: Study conducted by David Loomis, Professor of Economics at Illinois State University, and prepared by Strategic Economic Research, LLC.O
Quiet Neighbor
Operating solar farms are quiet business neighbors that have minimal impact on the surrounding area:
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No proven health or safety risks
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No sound outside the fence line
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No odor or emissions
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No tall towers or equipment; solar panels typically sit 12 feet maximum height
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No increase in local traffic
Environmental Attributes
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Use of the sun’s rays to generate renewable energy
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Emissions-free power generation
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Aids utilities in meeting Illinois renewables portfolio standard, which requires 25% of electrical sales to come from renewable sources by 2025
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Land under solar panels is rested for future agricultural use