Illinois fourth in nation in wind-farm capacity

NORMAL (AP) — Illinois is now fourth in the nation in terms of wind-farm electric capacity behind Texas, Iowa and California.

That's according to David Loomis, director of the Center for Renewable Energy at Illinois State University.

Loomis spoke to about 300 people attending a wind farm conference in Normal on Wednesday.

The (Bloomington) Pantagraph (http://bit.ly/xmlmbi ) reports that Loomis says the wind energy of all states equals about 40,000 megawatts, which roughly equals electric production in Illinois from all sources, including nuclear and coal. Loomis calls the growth in wind energy "phenomenal."

The center estimates the overall economic impact of Illinois wind farms at more than $4 billion. That includes income from about 11,000 construction jobs, about $10 million to landowners who lease land for turbines and $22 million in tax revenue.