Adams Electric Cooperative to get up to $5 million from U.S. Department of Energy to deploy clean energy

CAMP POINT, Ill. — Adams Electric Cooperative was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations to begin award negotiations for up to $5 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding as part of the Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas program. 

Adams Electric Cooperative Green Energy Project was selected as one of 19 community-led clean energy projects across 12 states and 13 tribal nations and communities to receive more than $78 million to develop and deploy sustainable clean energy solutions and expand access to reliable and affordable energy in rural and remote communities across the country.

The Adams Electric Cooperative Green Energy Project involves installing a 1 MW wind turbine and a 1 MW solar PV array in Schuyler County near the Sugar Grove Substation. The two types of generation complement each other, with solar generation being better in the summertime and wind generation in the wintertime. Over a year, the two combine to produce a flatter generation profile for members. The two facilities will produce approximately 3.6M kWhs per year or about 300 homes’ energy needs.

The project will benefit members by reducing energy costs for rural residents who are members of the cooperative in Adams, Brown, Schuyler, Hancock, McDonough, Pike, and Fulton counties. The project could potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 40,000 tons each year. The cooperative currently owns two wind turbines — one in Adams County (Pigeon Creek Wind Turbine) and one in Brown County (Randy D. Rigg Memorial Wind Turbine).

Adams Electric Cooperative plans to hire local contractors for construction and maintenance to generate jobs in the community. With the addition of a wind turbine in the eastern part of its territory and its first solar array, the cooperative will expand its offering of educational tours to co-op and community members, students and youth organizations. The projects also will provide opportunities to enhance area schools’ curriculum.